


Recurrent Knighmare

by elarielf



Series: Hunger Geass Trilogy [2]
Category: Code Geass, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Anime/Book-verse, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Is 17 underage?, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 20:23:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 74,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1198509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elarielf/pseuds/elarielf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Lelouch and Suzaku have returned to Area 11 in one piece, the illusion of safety is quickly stripped away by Pendragon politics and Lelouch's screwed-up family. Their actions had consequences, and there is a price they must pay for their lives.</p>
<p>More Code Geass characters enter the mix as Lelouch and Suzaku return to the Games, once again fighting against other Tributes and the system that put them there. It's easy enough for them to get distracted by fighting for their lives and lose sight of the true enemy, but alliances and past grudges complicate matters even more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home Sweet Home

Lelouch shivered in the cool air that gradually wafted into the bedroom as the front door was left open in the middle of winter. Stupid Suzaku not leaving the heating on while he was out hunting and unloading his catch before tidying up. How thoughtless.

Of course, Lelouch always had the choice to put on more layers, but that would completely defeat the purpose.

The crashing and banging from downstairs came to a head and Lelouch could hear the heavy tread of tired legs coming up the stairs. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing and tried to stop shivering.

The footsteps stopped as the door opened, and Lelouch just barely stopped himself from smiling or opening his eyes, as much as he wanted to see what was going on. When the footsteps started again, they were quieter and lighter and Lelouch had to suppress a shiver of anticipation rather than cold. He focused on pretending to be asleep.

The bed dipped behind him, then on his right, then his left. It was getting harder to control his breathing, as he imagined he could feel the cool air radiating from the body above him. He managed not to flinch from the soft press of lips between his shoulder blades, but apparently that wasn't enough to hide his awareness as the lips curved upwards in a smile.

"This is a nice surprise." The lips trailed down his back, as if counting his vertebrae, and Lelouch gave up the pretence of sleep and shifted impatiently, the thin sheet that barely covered his ass sliding against his skin. "Were you waiting long?"

"So long." Lelouch turned over carefully, not wanting to brush against Suzaku and ruin the lazy feeling of the moment. "I fell asleep."

Suzaku chuckled. "Sure you did." His head dipped again, pressing wetter kisses against Lelouch's stomach. "That's why your back's still warm."

That was true enough. Lelouch had barely had enough time to strip down and arrange the bedsheet artistically around his waist before Suzaku returned from hunting. "It's not that wa– _Suzaku_!" Suzaku's freezing fingers pressed against the small of Lelouch's back, holding him in place as he tried to squirm away from their icy grip. "Let go, you _ass_!"

"Say please!" Suzaku's hands slid lower, cupping Lelouch's buttocks with the tips of his fingers just barely sliding between them. Lelouch felt himself harden and cursed the strange reactions of his body to discomfort.

…no. To discomfort and Suzaku's touch.

Suzaku grinned as if he knew exactly what Lelouch was thinking and kissed him. "Share your warmth with me, Lelouch."

Lelouch whimpered slightly, clenching his jaw against more desperate noises. His hands flew to Suzaku's buttons and Suzaku released him to squirm out of his pants. It was a little clumsy and a lot frantic, but they'd had months of practice by this point, so it wasn't long before Suzaku was naked against him. He was cold at first, but he warmed quickly. Lelouch wrapped his legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

"Did you prep?" Suzaku asked against Lelouch's neck, his cock pressing against Lelouch's stomach. Lelouch shook his head and flung out an arm towards the bedside table, fumbling for the drawer that held the lube. Suzaku grabbed his wrist and laced their fingers together, shaking his head. "This is fine." He thrust lightly, and Lelouch felt himself go limp and passive. "This is _just_ fine…"

"Mmm…" Lelouch caught Suzaku's rhythm and started moving under him, by now used to what Suzaku liked. Actually, there wasn't much Suzaku _didn't_ like, other than a completely passive partner. Not that Lelouch disagreed – everything they did had its own benefits.

Like the frottage they had going now meant that they could kiss as they moved. Lelouch wasn't really flexible enough to maintain that when they had penetrative sex. And if there was one thing that Lelouch always enjoyed, it was Suzaku's kisses.

He enjoyed the rest, but Suzaku was an _amazing_ kisser. He never held back, and Lelouch sometimes felt like he could drown himself in Suzaku's kisses. The rest of the time, Suzaku could be so restrained…

Suzaku laughed into Lelouch's mouth. "What are you thinking about?"

"You," Lelouch answered, canting his hips up. "And sex and kissing."

Suzaku smiled. "On topic this time, at least."

He was amazing. Lelouch wasn't sure how other lovers would have reacted to the fact that Lelouch's mind worked doubletime when he was aroused (or if they would have even noticed) but Suzaku just took it with gentle humour and affection. Lelouch had tried explaining it – like Suzaku's kisses and touches brushed away all the distractions that stopped Lelouch from thinking as clearly as he could. It hadn't been like that with Lucinao – with him, all Lelouch could think about was what was happening, and how soon it would be over. Suzaku set him free.

Lelouch slid his hand between their bodies, holding their cocks together as Suzaku groaned and sped up. He was getting close… _they_ were getting close, and Lelouch wanted them to finish together. "Almost there?"

"Yeah, just…" Suzaku panted against Lelouch's neck. "…you?"

"Ready when you are."

Two more thrusts and Suzaku shuddered and groaned as he came. Lelouch let himself go at that sight, let the sudden whiteness of orgasm wipe away his ruminations and erase everything but this moment, with Suzaku. He'd pick up his thoughts when his mind rebooted but, until then, there was a blissfully peaceful silence in his mind and the warmth of Suzaku's body.

"What was that about?"

Lelouch smiled at Suzaku's suspicious tone. Suzaku was still naïve, but not as naïve as he had been before Lelouch. "I can't just come over to your house, strip down and get into your bed – it was unmade by the way – and drowse off while waiting for you to come home?"

"Well you certainly _can_ ," Suzaku said. "But you don't do anything without a reason. Also, I only make my bed when you stay over because you make me, and you're here more mornings than not."

"I am, aren't I?" Lelouch kissed him. "As much as I adore Nunnally and my mother, there are aspects of my life I'd rather they weren't a part of."

Suzaku laughed and returned the kiss. "I agree wholeheartedly. But that's not going to distract me from my original question. What was that about, Lelouch?"

Lelouch sighed and let his face settle into the more comfortable blankness that he rarely wore around Suzaku. Suzaku tended to make him smile, usually. "Please quit hunting."

Suzaku's own smile faded into a frown. "What? Why?"

"It's a week until the preparation for the tour. The camera crews, our stylist teams, tons of visitors from Pendragon will be here. If you get caught…"

"I'm not going to get caught."

" _If you do_ , you won't be forgiven because everyone's eaten one of your squirrels or rabbits at some point. It will be public, and it will be humiliating, and it is _easily avoidable_. Just take this week off while they come trickling in."

Suzaku frowned. "They're not going to be here for a week yet, Lelouch."

"You can't guarantee that – they'll all be here by a week, but their actual arrivals might be staggered. The train comes daily to take the shipment of _sakuradite_ for processing. They could come at any time." Suzaku still didn't look convinced. Lelouch suppressed his exasperation and forced a sultry smile, trailing his hand down Suzaku's chest and abs. "…I'll make sure you don't get bored."

"That's not the _hnng_ … Lelouch!" Suzaku grabbed Lelouch's hand and held it away from his body. "You don't have to do things like this to get my attention."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. Otherwise you just get all noble and self-sacrificing and think of yourself and your needs last." He smiled and shifted his whole body against Suzaku's. "Unless I remind you about what you need."

Suzaku's eyes rolled up as Lelouch undulated against him. It was flattering, but it only lasted a moment before Suzaku physically pushed Lelouch away from him. "Seriously Lelouch, _quit it_. I'm not going to do whatever you want just because my brain turns to jelly every time you touch me."

Lelouch blinked, a little shocked at the direct honesty. But, then again, this was Suzaku. "Alright. Just… consider it. We get twice the allotment of supplies from Pendragon this year, including food. For at least a little while, Area 11 can do without the hunting prowess of Suzaku Kururugi."

At least Suzaku seemed to be considering that. Lelouch smiled and sat up, grabbing a tissue and wiping himself off before standing and walking over to his clothes. "Are you coming over for supper?"

"Are you cooking or your mom?"

Lelouch shrugged as he slipped on his dress, making it catch on his shoulder. But that was fine because Suzaku's hands were there, smoothing it over. Lelouch leaned into his touch.

"Dresses again?"

"I _am_ able to take my own advice, Suzaku." Suzaku's hands smoothed over Lelouch's shoulders, gathering his hair out from the collar of his dress. Five months of growing it out had left it long enough to truly halo Lelouch's head when he lay back. Lelouch liked to tie it back whenever he could, but Suzaku liked it loose so that was how Lelouch wore it for him. Outside of their bedroom, however…

As Lelouch reached for his hair-tie, Suzaku's hand slipped down to Lelouch's waist and he pressed his lips against Lelouch's neck. Lelouch shivered. "Now who's trying to seduce whom?"

"Is it still seduction if you're basically a sure thing?" Suzaku asked against Lelouch's skin. Lelouch laughed. "Do you really have to go?"

Lelouch half turned, a mocking comment about insatiability on his tongue, when he noticed three black cars across the street, just outside his own house.

Cars.

No one in Area 11 owned a car.

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch forced a smile back on his face. "I clearly need to teach you to appreciate me more, if you just assume I'm a sure thing. I think an afternoon apart should do nicely."

Suzaku released him, frowning. "I didn't mean…"

"Hush." Lelouch pressed a gentle finger to Suzaku's lips, feeling his smile turn more real as Suzaku impulsively kissed it. "I know you didn't. I was teasing. But I do have to go get things ready for supper." He took in Suzaku's naked form and sighed a little inside. "I do wish I could stay and take advantage of… _all that_."

Suzaku grinned and pulled Lelouch in for a deep kiss. Lelouch melted against him, as he almost always did, his fear and anxiety melting away, leaving only a restless mind running scenario after scenario.

Suzaku laughed into the kiss. "Fine, you're clearly focused on supper. Go on, then."

Lelouch shot him a grateful smile and shrugged on his jacket. "Drop by in a few hours or so."

"Right. Bye."

Suzaku sounded a little off, but Lelouch didn't bother with that. If he was upset about something, he'd say it – that was one of the wonderful things about Suzaku. Lelouch had more important things to worry about.

Like the three black cars outside his house.

He hadn't done up his hair after leaving Suzaku's, too distracted. It whipped about his face as he crossed the street, coiling and tangling as the sweat from his earlier activities cooled in the breeze, enough to make him shiver. Or maybe that was the bad feeling coiling in the pit of his stomach. Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate at the threshold of his house, ducking in to get out of the wind and before he lost his nerve.

"Ah, Lelouch!" His mother came out of the dining area, a bright smile on her face. "Excellent timing! Where were you?"

Lelouch considered lying, then decided there was no point. "At Suzaku's. I invited him for supper, if that's alright."

"Of course! He's always welcome." To Lelouch's eyes, Marianne looked genuinely happy, even more so than usual. "Nunnally and Sayoko are baking a cake for dessert." Lelouch couldn't help smiling at that, despite his still-present worries. The biggest change to their lives since Lelouch had won the Hunger Games (besides the large isolated house with running hot and cold water and a regular, impressive income) was Sayoko. Milly had recommended her for help around their home, and she'd basically turned into Nunnally's eyes and legs, allowing her to do all the things she'd always wanted to. While Nunnally had been able to do small tasks around the kitchen before, helping Lelouch and Marianne, she was now far more independent and more eager to experiment with new things.

This would be her first cake. Lelouch couldn't help but be proud about that. They were racking up a lot of firsts for Nunnally since Sayoko had come.

He toed off his shoes, brushing his loose hair behind his ear. "What kind of cake is she…"

His voice trailed off, straining against the sudden rush of panic at the sight of two unnaturally-perfect, neatly tailored men in matching suits. They didn't look like the uniformed peacekeepers that patrolled the Areas, but they had the same air of watchful malevolence, as if they could lash out at any moment and the only thing stopping them was either that you weren't important enough or they had something better to do.

"Ah, Lelouch. These gentlemen are Mr. Waldstein and Mr. Darlton." Lelouch almost asked his mother which was which, then realised it didn't really matter. They were essentially the same person; toy soldiers formed from the same mould. Their presence was meaningless apart from the implications.

"Where is he?"

Marianne's smile sweetened nostalgically. "In the study. Do see if you can convince him to stay for supper."

Lelouch looked away, carefully hiding his disgust. "I'll be sure to ask." He tried not to notice the way the two well-dressed guards followed him with their eyes as he made his way to the study, no doubt preparing to neutralize him at the first sign of a threat.

As if Lelouch could ever pose a viable threat.

The door opened smoothly, like every other door in the house. For a sharp, painful moment, Lelouch missed the way the doors stuck in the old run-down shack he and Nunnally had been raised in. Then all thought of his old house, his old childhood, anything other than the man in front of him, flew from Lelouch's mind as his eyes met the only other pair of eyes he'd ever seen that shared the exact same violet shade as his.

"President zi Britannia."

His father smiled from where he was seated, as if he was holding court in Lelouch's own office. "Lelouch."

Lelouch closed the door behind himself and took another step into the room, another step closer to his father, Charles zi Britannia, Emperor of Britannia and her Areas. "You honour this house with your–"

"Are you attempting to spark a rebellion?" Charles interrupted smoothly. Lelouch's mouth closed with a snap as the question, asked both casually and carelessly, shocked him to the core.

This was what he'd been afraid of. What he'd tried to warn Suzaku of, and what Lloyd had tried to warn them both of. The one thing that had almost stopped him from the desperate murder-suicide pact that had just barely saved his and Suzaku's lives.

Lelouch lowered his eyes, hiding the complicated mixture of glee and fear and resentment he was feeling under the appearance of humility. "No."

"Lies," Charles said smoothly. Lelouch shook his head.

"That wasn't my intent, not on any level. All I wanted was to be left alone," Lelouch said carefully. "If Nunnally hadn't been chosen. If you– if my hand hadn't been forced." It was important to keep this passive, to avoid placing blame on anyone, since Lelouch pretty much completely blamed his father. "I would never have stepped onto the stage if I'd had the choice."

"You had a choice. You could have killed that boy."

The fact that that was the simple truth almost hurt. He could have – _should_ have – taken Suzaku out. Suzaku had even been willing to let him. Lelouch closed his eyes, pushing aside the memory of that desperate moment, the anger and fear and betrayal and that _tiny_ sliver of hope that just barely pierced through it all. "I honestly don't think I could have."

"And now?" Charles asked dismissively. "If you had the chance would you choose his life or your sister's?"

Lelouch caught himself before he could glare, but he was pretty sure he didn't look pleased. "Have there been any actual uprisings?"

Charles looked at him consideringly. "An interesting choice of deflection."

"I'm not choosing between my lover and my sister," Lelouch said. "So the only thing left to talk about is how bad things are that you would _deign_ to return to this Area just for me."

Charles's expression hardened. "It's not about you, boy. You know _nothing_ of anything outside of your tiny world. This is bigger than you, bigger than your family, bigger than your pathetic area. Bigger even than me. Since your idiotic stunt, there have been tremors and whispers and if they turn into anything more substantial people will _die_ , you foolish child. And the life for those left would be even harder than the minor struggles you all whine about now."

Even though Charles's voice never raised above a soft growl, Lelouch felt the force of his censure throughout his being. The disdain Charles had for his intelligence, the disgust he had for Lelouch's hardships, the weight he seemed to feel on his shoulders, increased because of Lelouch's actions…

It was enough to make Lelouch feel guilty. And then he felt angry over that guilt; Charles zi Britannia was a master manipulator, the kind of man who seduced a woman and left her with two small children (one born weak and crippled) to raise on her own without a smidgen of the guilt he was forcing on Lelouch. He might seem like a wise old man with too much responsibility as he sat in Lelouch's chair, but he was the same man who'd continued the barbaric Hunger Games, who'd raised the _sakuradite_ quota three times in the last decade, who'd nearly doubled the Peacekeeper force during his reign.

He was a tyrant, and the only reason he feared the people was because he'd given them ample reason to hate and resent him.

He wasn't wrong, however. If there were uprisings, people _would_ die – and more Numbers than Peacekeepers, likely. And Lelouch might not have been as worldly as his father, but he did know that without a strong centralized government the risks of fiefdoms and local abuses from power-hungry individuals were much higher than now. The Areas and the Numbers living in them might be living in poor conditions, practically slaves, but at least there was the rule of law, and it was (generally) enforced. Thieves, murderers, rapists; they were all prosecuted as much as possible within the Area, as long as they weren't themselves Peacekeepers (who tended to protect their own). It wasn't much, but the world would indeed be a darker place without it.

"Have there been any actual uprisings, yet?" Lelouch asked again.

Charles shook his head. "Your romantic gesture of utter stupidity didn't _quite_ have the power to overturn decades of common sense and the status quo. But you're about to leave for your tour, visiting those same Areas at risk. And that might be just what they need to push them over the edge."

"Is the tour to be cancelled then?" Lelouch asked, trying to remember if that had ever happened in the entire history of the games (it hadn't). His eyes widened as he realized another possibility. "Or is this a more direct threat?" Despite Clovis's ruling, they really only needed _one_ Victor for the tour. The other would be… expendable.

Charles rolled his eyes. "Hardly. I have no plans of making either you or that dirty peasant boy of yours a martyr. Nor would I have come all the way here to threaten your sister – you already know that she's of no use to me and I wouldn't hesitate to have her killed. It's why you entered the games in the first place."

Then why was he here…

"Are you aware of where your boy goes every morning?"

Lelouch felt himself tense. Despite his father's disclaimer only a moment before that he wouldn't have Suzaku killed, Lelouch knew that Suzaku's hunting could be punished severely without risking his life. "If that's what you wanted to talk about, why aren't you talking with–"

The door flew open. "Lelouch!"

Lelouch saw his father raise a hand in a clear command to stop in the moment before he whipped his head around to see Suzaku burst into the room with either Waldstein or Darlton hot on his heals with his gun out.

There was a split second for Lelouch to make a call. He didn't consider himself a brave person, not really, but with his father's threats (warnings?) still ringing in his ears, Lelouch was primed and protective and Suzaku was right there and there was a _gun_ pointed at him.

Later, Lelouch would feel acutely embarrassed at both the high-pitched panicked noise that escaped his lips and the way he flailed as he attempted to push Suzaku out of the line of fire. Later, Suzaku would do an impression of him for the amusement of his mother and Nunnally and everyone, including Lelouch, would laugh. Later, Suzaku's life wouldn't be at risk, at least in Lelouch's mind.

But now, his heart racing and emotions high from arguing with his father, all Lelouch could see was the threat to Suzaku, and all he could feel was the need to stop it.

And, unfortunately for him, there was no time for thought.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part was that it was his father's guard who saved all three of them from tumbling in an unruly mess of limbs by bracing them against the doorframe as Lelouch flung himself on Suzaku who fell back into the guard. Suzaku's arms immediately wrapped around Lelouch and he yanked them both away from the guard, pressing Lelouch into the far corner and shielding him with his back.

"What happened?" His muscles were tensed in preparation to move, either in attack or defence, taking Lelouch's lead. Lelouch couldn't afford to look at him, focusing all his attention on the naked weapon in the guard's hand, now being held unthreateningly at the guard's side, pointed towards the ground. His dark eyes met Lelouch's, surprisingly amused and gentle, despite the deep scar running from his forehead, across the bridge of his nose, to the opposite cheek. Lelouch hadn't really registered it, used to scared miners and even townspeople pockmarked with scars from disease or infected insect bites. But for someone from Pendragon, who'd had access to the plentiful and easy body modifications that almost everyone there indulged in, an ugly gash across the face was something that doubtless stood out.

For some reason, that scar made Lelouch feel more inclined towards trust. That strange genuineness was rare to see in Pendragon citizens and worth something, even in one of his father's minions.

"Stand down, Darlton," Charles said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I'm sure we can all behave like rational human beings."

Lelouch was less sure. From the way Suzaku was still tensed, like a spring about to be released or a jungle cat about to pounce, he wasn't entirely convinced either.

Darlton just grinned. "Yes, Your Majesty." He put the gun away and bowed slightly, shutting the door behind him and shooting Lelouch a brief wink just before the door closed. Lelouch felt mocked.

"Now, if you'll both lower your hackles and return to the matter at hand…"

Lelouch shoved Suzaku off him, fighting back a flush of humiliation. "I believe you had something you wanted to address with Suzaku, _Your Majesty_."

"What?" Suzaku asked, obviously off-balance from… well, everything that had happened from the moment he'd burst into the room. "…wait, what?"

Charles rolled his eyes. "You are treading on dangerous ground, boy. I'd hoped to elicit my son's opinions on certain matters, but your input might well be useful." He leaned forward. "It's about your early morning excursions."

Suzaku shot Lelouch a look, clearly looking for some kind of guidance. Lelouch kept himself relaxed, his mind running through scenario after scenario, factoring in every single aspect about this interview that he could. "Just answer honestly, Suzaku. There's no way _my father_ would be recording this – not if he's admitted our relationship out loud."

Charles's lips twitched at that, almost forming a smile. Suzaku didn't quite look convinced, but he turned towards Charles. "If you're referring to my hunts…"

"No, not merely _your_ hunts," Charles corrected. "Your hunts _with Kouzuki_."

"…Kallen?" Lelouch said, honestly confused now. "Is _that_ what this is about?" He shook his head. "Suzaku has never hidden anything about his and Kallen's relationship from me." Suzaku stiffened at that, but Lelouch pretended not to notice, suddenly playfully amused at the idea that this wasn't anything more serious than Suzaku's gallivanting about with a girl. "I'm sure that if anything had changed he would have mentioned it." Suzaku visibly flinched at that and Lelouch bit back a grin. "I trust him completely." From the look his father shot him, that was laying it on a little too thick.

For Suzaku, however, it seemed just enough. "Lelouch…"

"I'm sure of your faith and affection, Lelouch. As is all of Britannia. There is no questioning your feelings, but your partner's…"

Lelouch blinked. "Wait. You think _Suzaku's_ the manipulative one?"

Charles shrugged. "You gave up a great deal, publically and ostentatiously for that boy. You never wavered – even your other alliances had his best interests at heart. Meanwhile, he turns towards another girl in the games and now in his day-to-day life back in this Area. Even when you were together, you were far more demonstrative, and clearly hurt by his indifference."

"I'm not indifferent!" Suzaku interrupted. "Not at… how the hell are people coming to that conclusion?"

"No one can know what's in your heart," Charles said, shooting a wry look at Lelouch. "Which is probably for the best in some cases. All anyone can judge from is what they're shown. And Lelouch had shown time and time again that he is dedicated to and in love with you. While you show both a cavalier and opportunistic façade, using Lelouch when he's useful to you and rejecting his advances no matter how hard he threw himself at you. You could be forgiven for Euphy – emotions run high during the games, and you never showed anything but a purely platonic and protective interest towards her. But Kouzuki…"

"Stop," Lelouch said. "You can't _seriously_ be using Euphy, who _you_ pressed into the games to die, against us."

Charles snorted. "I'm not doing anything. What I think is irrelevant, since the narrative of your true and desperate love is useful to me. It's what others, particularly the other Areas, think that concerns me."

"Nothing happened with Kallen," Suzaku said. "Um, I mean… not really…"

"The reality doesn't interest me. Only the appearance of reality. And you _appear_ to be besotted with someone other than my son."

"I don't–"

"We sleep together more nights than not, and are routinely seen in town as lovers. It's not as though the other Areas can see into our daily lives in any case. At least not yet," Lelouch said quickly, not wanting Suzaku to make things worse. Whatever he had going on with Kallen (and there had probably been _something_ over the last three months at least, given an abrupt but subtle change that Lelouch had noticed from Suzaku then) it wasn't anything that Lelouch was willing to lose him over.

Charles looked at him with something that could have almost been pity if his face hadn't been so severe. "And yet, every morning he disappears into the… well, it hardly matters. As we've discussed, no matter what his trespasses or yours, killing either of you is out of the question."

_But not Kallen_. Lelouch hesitated, considering the benefits of sacrificing her (as she was essentially nothing to him) to protect the people he loved. Suzaku, however, caught on only a moment after Lelouch did.

"There's nothing between us, I swear! I… I'll stay away from her. I won't even be seen in public without Lelouch, just please… please don't hurt her."

Lelouch blinked, a bit taken aback. He'd never heard Suzaku plead like that, desperate and meek, despite making him beg numerous times during some of their more adventurous trysts. It was as if all pride and strength melted away, leaving behind a timid, frightened, _cowed_ child, who genuinely thought that the boogeyman could be dissuaded through words alone.

Suzaku had never stripped himself so bare for Lelouch. Even when Lelouch had pushed him away, Suzaku had held onto enough of his pride to earn Lelouch's continued respect. But for Kallen…

"That may not be enough. You do not… dissemble as well as Lelouch does. To keep her safe, I would need more than the promise of a mere lack of proximity. I would need a guarantee that you would put on a good enough show to prove your devotion."

"I will," Suzaku promised. "I'll make everyone think I'm completely in love with Lelouch."

"… _think_?" Lelouch asked sharply, not at all pleased with the idea that Suzaku would have to fake that. Certainly he was affectionate enough and demonstrative enough in private, or in front of Nunnally and Marianne. It was just in public that he shied away, not comfortable with ostentatious displays. Lelouch was pretty sure he could coach Suzaku through that, though, but the idea that it was necessary and wouldn't just come naturally to Suzaku when he stopped holding back so much was… distasteful.

"You'll have to do better than that," Charles said gravely. "You'll have to convince _me_."

It wasn't until after he'd left that the thought occurred to Lelouch that this might have been his father's way of interfering in his love life, the way Nunnally and even Marianne so gently would. The idea was disturbing and a little frightening, but there was one thing that was for sure.

"I _told_ you to stop hunting."

Suzaku had the grace to look abashed.


	2. On the Road Again

The conversation with the Emperor had clearly unnerved Suzaku. There was no more bravado or self-assured promises that he'd never get caught hunting. He stayed away from Kallen and close to Lelouch, although the fact that their stylist teams arrived a few days after the Emperor's visit meant that no one really noticed.

Lelouch, meanwhile, went over every moment, every nuance of his father's visit. The threat lingered, festering in Lelouch's mind, doing more damage to his and Suzaku's relationship than anything Kallen could have possibly accomplished.

Or so Lelouch thought.

"I want to see him."

Lelouch stared blearily at the angry redhead standing in his doorway half an hour before dawn. If her knocking hadn't likely been disturbing Nunnally and Marianne, Lelouch wouldn't have gotten up. Frankly, by this point, he was considering just closing the door in her face and going back to bed. C.C. was scheduled to arrive today or tomorrow, and Lelouch's team was desperate to meet her expectations. It was almost more draining than being in the games themselves.

He didn't have the time or the energy for this. "He lives across the street. Have fun."

"He won't see me." Kallen moved closer, right into Lelouch's space, preventing him from closing the door. "He won't even agree to meet with me to talk. What did you do to him?"

"The exhaustive list is quite extensive," Lelouch said. "Why, looking for tips?"

Kallen's bright blue eyes (unbearably wide and awake at this time of the morning) flashed. "Watch yourself, Lamperouge. Suzaku might have carried your worthless ass through the games, but you're no more a Victor than I am. You don't have any genuine claim on him."

"We're madly in love. If that's all…"

"He's with you because he _has_ to be. You forced him into this." Kallen moved closer, crowding Lelouch until he stepped back into his house and she followed, closing the door behind her. "He didn't even _know_ you before the Hunger Games. You weren't there when he was barely skin and bones, you didn't show him how to track and shoot and everything that let him _save your life_ in those games."

Lelouch blinked at Kallen, taken somewhat aback by her vehemence but fully awake now. "And you were."

"Damn straight," Kallen said. "And I'll by his side long after you tire of him."

Lelouch had never sought out Kallen or the other members of her hunting troupe, although he had bought a few of their smaller kills over the years from middlemen. Even when he'd been desperate for ways to supplement his family's income to avoid the inevitable pride-stinging pity-gifts from his father, he'd never considered joining them. Too risky, too much physical exertion, and too much team work. Lelouch wasn't great at any of those. The townsfolk did have a certain grateful respect for the small group, especially during the harsh winter months. Even the Peacekeepers kept their secrets, in return for better deals and an unspoken promise of discretion. But Lelouch had kept his distance, not wanting to be associated with chronic law breakers on any level.

And then Suzaku. As much as Lelouch would have loved to compartmentalize him-and-Suzaku from him-and-everything-else and Suzaku-and-everything-else, that was impossible. Suzaku was already close with his family, and he'd seemed to hope that Lelouch would make his own moves towards Suzaku's makeshift family in return.

But Lelouch had still managed to limit contact with the hunters, despite Suzaku's best efforts. He'd talked a few times with Kallen – stilted conversations about essentially nothing but superficialities until Suzaku let them part ways. Lelouch had never been jealous of Kallen; of her prior claim and close connection, of the world that she and Suzaku shared that Lelouch would never be a part of. And he'd always thought that she was equally unjealous of him; that she hadn't wanted Suzaku's kisses or touches, his lust or even his love.

Maybe he was wrong about that.

For the first time Lelouch looked at Kallen, not as an undesirable element or a part of Suzaku's life that was being forced on him, but as a person in her own right. She had surprisingly delicate features compared to her brother or mother, likely from her (unknown) father, and the most expressive face Lelouch had seen apart from Suzaku's. Even scowling, Lelouch would describe her as comely, although her more severe features seemed harsh for a girl – something that Lelouch actually liked, but wasn't commonly considered a mark of beauty. Her body, on the other hand, was fairly close to a feminine ideal. Thin and strong, with wiry, subtle musculature oddly similar to Suzaku's, she nevertheless had disproportionately large breasts and buttocks, and the style of dress in Area 11 accentuated them.

She was… attractive. And she was important to Suzaku. And there was more than one way to make it clear that she wasn't a threat to their relationship than to push her away. After all, she could hardly threaten a relationship she was a part of…

Lelouch smiled gently at Kallen's glare and relaxed, leaning into her aggressive body rather than away from it. Her eyes flickered uncertainly, but she stood her ground, even when Lelouch's hand came up to rest lightly on her waist.

"You know… Suzaku has _two_ sides," Lelouch said softly, his voice holding the same smooth cajole he used on marks he wanted to manipulate. "And a _very_." He leaned down until their noses almost touched. "Roomy." His hand slid down to Kallen's hip. "Bed."

A long, loaded moment stretched between them as Lelouch waited for Kallen to figure out what he was offering her. Her breaths were coming quicker, shallower, although that could have been anything from nervousness to anger to arousal. Lelouch's tongue darted out, a pink flicker against pale lips, in obvious invitation.

Without moving forward or back, Kallen slapped him across the face. Hard.

"I don't know what the _hell_ you think you are, Lamperouge, or what you think I am, but–"

"I think you're in love with my fiancé," Lelouch said, cradling his cheek with one hand.

"That's such _bullshit_! We're friends! I just wanted to talk to him–"

Lelouch snorted. "You don't _just_ want anything. I'm not sure what you want, exactly, but I suspect that's only because you don't either." Kallen glared at him again, with more power this time, but it was slightly undermined by the way she wrapped her arms around herself. Lelouch, sensing vulnerability, pressed further. "This is your only way in, Kallen. I'm not likely to make this offer again." He reached out, cupping her chin in his fingers, his thumb lightly brushing against her lower lip. "And I would have you understand that this wouldn't simply be you-and-Suzaku and me-and-Suzaku. You would be required to demonstrate some… _affection_ for me as well."

Kallen's eyes widened, but she didn't flinch away. "You'll have to fake that too."

A challenge? Lelouch grinned. "Kallen, I think you underestimate yourself." He stepped closer, but it wasn't an attack or an attempt at intimidation this time, despite the genuine desire that Lelouch allowed to show in his eyes. "Tell me, have you ever been kissed?"

"Suzaku," Kallen said softly, her eyes darting from Lelouch's to his lips and back again, in something of a daze.

Ah. So _that_ was what his father had known. Lelouch had rather preferred it when it had been speculation and possibility than having it verified. "I see."

"No, that's not–" Kallen pulled away, flushing. "He didn't… I mean, I…"

Lelouch dropped his hand and wiped it reflexively on his pants. "Suzaku and I are very busy this week. We'd both appreciate it if you could give us some space."

Kallen nodded rapidly, backing away, her mouth pursed as if to keep her stammering explanations locked away. Lelouch wasn't feeling particularly charitable or understanding – she'd woken him far earlier than he'd have chosen to wake, demanded things and pushed her way into his house, slapped him and let it slip that she and Suzaku… that they'd…

Lelouch smiled, knowing it didn't reach his eyes. "Be well, Kallen. We'll see you in a few weeks, once the tour is over. If I see you before them, or if Suzaku does, I will be most displeased." Lelouch opened the door for her. "Good day."

The moment it closed behind him, Lelouch remembered all about C.C. coming later that day.

Even if Kallen didn't get over this disastrous morning, she was still likely to have a better day than Lelouch.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

C.C. either wasn't as bad as Lelouch remembered, or she'd mellowed out over the months since the Hunger Games. Maybe fame and fortune agreed with her, now that she was getting the respect for her brilliant outfit designs that she deserved. Or maybe she was just biding her time, waiting for Lelouch to lower his guard and then…

"Pay attention and stop squirming!" C.C. snapped irritably. "This is going to be the first time Britannia at large sees you since the games, and I assume you still want to make a decent impression."

Lelouch forced himself to stop fidgeting, trying to get back into that mental place where he didn't care what C.C. did to him. The only problem with that was that the last time they'd done this, Lelouch was certain he'd be dead in a few weeks or just recovered from near death with more on his mind than his wardrobe. Now he was acutely aware of how ridiculous he looked, even with his long hair.

"Are you making me match Suzaku again?"

C.C. snorted and placed another pin in Lelouch's heavy skirt. "It's the other way around – he's done up to match you. You must know that of the two of you, you're the one who's attracted the most attention, who people want to see in the spotlight."

Lelouch stilled and listened carefully. He'd _not_ known that, actually. He'd figured that, apart from his father or siblings, Suzaku would have been the attention-grabbing one, with his strength and bravery and boyish charm. He wondered if C.C. was informing him of the situation in Pendragon on purpose or if she was just talking for the sake of hearing her own voice.

No. She wasn't like then flighty members of her prep team – every word she spoke seemed weighted to some purpose, even if that purpose was just needling Lelouch. She was offering Lelouch information in the form of mindless gossip.

"It doesn't help that there's rampant speculation on Suzaku's relationship with Kallen or Nunnally, making him look like a player while you look like a devoted lover," C.C. continued. "Seriously, the amount of guesswork and interpretation that people have put to the brief interviews that Kallen and Nunnally gave and the few moments they had with Suzaku on your return is impressive."

" _Nunnally_?" Lelouch demanded, aghast. "What have they been saying about Nunnally?"

C.C. grinned, not even pretending to be making further alterations. "That the way Suzaku nursed you, the way he warmed up to you only after you were injured, there's speculation that he has something of a fetish for vulnerable people who need him. Which you don't, not anymore. But Nunnally…"

"That's disgusting," Lelouch said, trying very hard not to think of the way Suzaku had held him when he'd been hurt, or to imagine him holding Nunnally in his lap as he helped her dress or bathe or any of the numerous things that Lelouch did that he'd never seen as even remotely sexual until this moment. "She's a _child_."

"She's fourteen. There are girls who start a family at that age."

"Not Nunnally!" It was a good thing that C.C. wasn't holding any more pins when Lelouch shuddered, his whole body shaking in insuppressible horror.

C.C. just sighed and shook her head. "You're getting distracted from the point."

As far as Lelouch was concerned, Nunnally _was_ the point. But he managed to stop himself from snapping that at C.C. and focused back on the things _she_ would consider important. "So you're saying that I – who manipulated and toyed with Suzaku's feelings, who played up every moment we had together, who came onto him like a starving whore… I'm the good guy here. Suzaku saved my life and risked his own for me, and held back out of discretion and concern, and he's the villain because he has, at one point, talked to other girls and doesn't come off as an obsessed stalker."

"Precisely. Obsession is in right now. You just happen to be trendy, while Suzaku's more subtle and reserved affections are out of style."

Lelouch snorted. "Pendragon is insane."

"You're just jealous because we have indoor plumbing."

Alright, _that_ was just funny. Lelouch couldn't help grinning. "You do have this knack of putting everything into perspective."

"Naturally." C.C. stood. "You're done."

"Finally," Lelouch said with no bite. "Tell me that means Cecile will be here soon to get things moving along."

C.C. shrugged. "Soon enough. I believe she made the mistake of trying to pull Lloyd away from his workroom to make an appearance."

Lelouch winced. "I guess we have time then. Let's drop by to see Suzaku."

"The cameras are here already," C.C. reminded him gravely. "Your every move will be watched."

Lelouch grinned. "I'm counting on it."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

They put on a good show. Lelouch and Suzaku were so obviously and deeply in love that Lelouch could practically feel cavities forming from the saccharine sappiness of their embraces and giggles and little whispered secrets. Lloyd, when he finally showed up, was appropriately addled and scatter-brained, adding a touch of light-hearted humour. And Cecile was lovely and patient and always smiling, the ever-tolerant representative from Pendragon.

The supporting cast was just as brilliant. Nunnally and Marianne held themselves with a poise that most nobility in Pendragon would have envied. Milly was bubbly and adorable and every inch a frontier, somewhat primitive, aristocrat. And Kallen, in her best performance yet (Lelouch thought to himself, unkindly), was completely absent.

Instead, it was Milly who handed Lelouch the Suzaku pin, winking. "From a friend."

Lelouch turned the pin over in his hands, tracing the tainted metal and the nicks and divots left by years of use. He didn't really count Kallen amongst _his_ friends, but it didn't really surprise him that Milly did, or that they would conspire to get this to Suzaku any way they could.

And who was Lelouch to stand in the way of such dedication? "Suzaku, come here."

Suzaku, who had been nodding enthusiastically to something Lloyd had been saying, turned immediately towards Lelouch's call, his face breaking into the sweetest smile. "Yes?"

Lelouch didn't answer him in words, silently coming over to him and pinning the broach to Suzaku's jacket, just over his heart. Suzaku's grin gentled into a soft smile and he placed his hand over Lelouch's pressing them to his chest.

"To keep you safe," Lelouch whispered softly, unsure why he was doing this. Suzaku must have known where the pin came from, what it meant. He must have known that this was the only way Kallen could say good bye to him, offering a token of her feelings that she was forbidden to express. Lelouch could easily have just smiled and pocketed the pin, would have, in fact, if he wasn't aware that the pin held other meanings as well. Meanings that spoke, not to him or Suzaku or their gathered friends, but to the thousands watching from their comfortable chairs in Pendragon, congratulating themselves on noticing and remembering the symbol of Lelouch and Suzaku's decision to die in love rather than live with the blood of the other on their hands. To them "Suzaku" wasn't a symbol of the lost culture that Suzaku and Kallen shared, it was a symbol of idiotic but romantic devotion. And Lelouch wasn't above flaunting the tokens that people wanted to see like some obscure game of hide-and-seek without the hiding.

But it wasn't that simple to them, to him and Suzaku and Kallen. And Suzaku's warm touch against the back of Lelouch's hand; his firm chest pressing against Lelouch's palm, was somewhat tainted by Kallen's Suzaku pin digging lightly into the pads of Lelouch's fingers.

"I love you," Suzaku said, soft and sincere, almost as if he could read Lelouch's mind.

Lelouch closed his eyes and pasted on a smile and nodded. "I love you, too." Even to his own ears, Lelouch sounded far less sincere.

Fortunately, they were interrupted by the train pulling in and last-minute good byes. They weren't leaving for their deaths this time, so the farewells were just that, with the expectation of a healthy and happy return. Nunnally's smile was so wide Lelouch was afraid she might strain something, and she pulled Lelouch and Suzaku down, one are around each of their necks, for an affectionate cheek kiss. Milly actually squeed over how adorable that was.

The rules for the train were simple.

"You two have separate rooms and you're going to _use them_ this time, understood?" Cecile said in that motherly I'm-not-exactly-disappointed-but-never-do-that-aga in tone of voice. "Meal times are fixed, and the itinerary is posted in the dining car and the sitting car. We'll start with Area 12, of course, and work our way to Area 1. And then… Pendragon!" She clasped her hands together, as if offering a rare and valued treat. Lelouch managed a smile – just because he never wanted to set foot in that city again didn't mean he should take that out on Cecile. She was clearly looking forwards to this, likely for their sakes more than hers. "For now, why don't you two freshen up before dinner?"

Lelouch frowned. She'd just basically scolded them for sleeping together, but that almost sounded like an invitation for a little… _play_ before they ate. He let a grin slowly creep over his face. Perhaps she hadn't meant it that way, but Lelouch wasn't against taking advantage of the chance.

"…I'm not so sure that's a good look," Suzaku said as they made their way to their rooms. Lelouch, rather than answering him in words, pulled Suzaku into his room and pushed him onto the bed, kneeling in front of him with his hands already working on unfastening Suzaku's heavy winter clothes.

Suzaku gasped, at first with surprise and then with desperation as Lelouch slid his hand inside Suzaku's underwear to touch the warm bare flesh there. "Okay, that's… that's a good look."

"Can be," Lelouch conceded, leaning forward. "It's my up-to-no-good look." He pulled Suzaku's cock out of his pants and gave it a fond tug. "Speaking of 'up'…"

Suzaku laughed, even as he hardened in Lelouch's hand. "You are such a tease."

Feeling contrary, Lelouch leaned in and licked a swathe up the underside of Suzaku's cock as it stiffened to near-full hardness. Suzaku gave a gratifying groan and leaned back, his hands fisting in the quilt of the neatly-made bed. Lelouch imagined himself pushing Suzaku down and riding him, messing up the lovely sheets until they were surrounded by the scent and mess of sex. He could feel his own cock, hard as a rock and very nearly slipping out of the lacy underwear he had on under his dress, twitch at that thought.

It was unfortunate that they didn't have the time.

"You look amazing."

Lelouch smiled. He knew _exactly_ how he looked on his knees, his mouth salivating for another man's cock. It had been that look that had won him the Hunger Games, in a very real way, and he was more confident in this position – seemingly submissive and vulnerable, but fully in control and holding something that men generally valued almost as much as (and sometimes more than) their own lives. In his mouth.

It was a manifestation of power. Lelouch _loved_ power. Of course, power over Suzaku wasn't something he normally treasured, it being both common and almost uncomfortably easy to acquire. But between C.C.'s insinuations and Kallen's token, Lelouch wanted the reassurance.

He kissed the tip of Suzaku's cock, lightly at first, then wetter and messier until he was basically just sucking it and slobbering on it. Apparently, from the sounds Suzaku was making and his white-knucked grip, Suzaku still enjoyed that. Lelouch pulled off, breathing a little hard and feeling his face flush. "You can come in my mouth."

Suzaku groaned as if Lelouch was actually hurting him and his hand flew up to caress Lelouch's cheek, wiping away the precome and drool, and gently pull Lelouch back towards him. Lelouch went willingly, opening his mouth and relaxing his throat and sucking whole-heartedly on Suzaku's cock, working his way to deepthroating him.

He never quite made it, as a firm suck and a playful swirl of his tongue had Suzaku arching his back and desperately trying not to thrust too hard down his throat as he came. Lelouch managed to swallow some, letting the rest slip out of the sides of his mouth and down his face as he focused on breathing through his nose. He didn't particularly like the taste, but he didn't hate it either and dinner was only a few minutes away.

Suzaku laughed, a little breathless and with that heavy happiness that only seemed to come over him after sex. "It's been forever since you've done that."

"Did you miss it?" Lelouch asked as innocently as he could.

"You know I love anything you offer me," Suzaku said warmly, tugging Lelouch up to lie with him. "Your mouth, your hands, your ass…" His hand slid under Lelouch's thick skirts, wrapping around Lelouch's erection. "…your cock…"

Lelouch sighed happily and thrust lazily into Suzaku's fist. "You don't have to…"

"Oh, hush," Suzaku said, affectionately impatient. "Let me watch you come undone. You're so gorgeous…"

It almost made Lelouch want to duck his head and hide his face in an unusual bout of bashfulness. It was trite and overly sweet and cutesy, but Suzaku's utter sincerity as he complimented Lelouch always took Lelouch's breath away. He knew he was attractive, pretty in an androgynous way, but there was a difference between looking fuckable and 'so good on your knees, yeah you want it like that, don't you, slut' and Suzaku's 'amazing' and 'gorgeous'.

Lelouch laughed instead, his voice shaky, but he could explain that away by arousal rather than nerves. "You're just saying that because I'm covered in your–" Suzaku cut him off with a hard kiss.

"I'm saying that because you're gorgeous."

Lelouch grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in for more kisses, forcing Suzaku to take his tongue and lip into his mouth and taste himself on Lelouch. Suzaku's soft groans seemed to move through Lelouch, from his mouth to his groin, pooling there as Lelouch's hips moved faster, demanding more from Suzaku's clever hand as he pressed into Suzaku's clever mouth.

"Don't hold back," Suzaku whispered against Lelouch's skin as he gave Lelouch exactly what he needed, never teasing or taunting. Such a simple boy. Such a lovely, simple boy.

That thought seemed to push Lelouch over the edge, his cry swallowed by Suzaku's mouth, his released caught by Suzaku's hand. It was probably stupid, but for a fleeting moment, Lelouch felt like everything in the world was as it should be.

And then the vibration of the train, the brush of his skirt against his thigh, the sterile scent (or rather lack of scent) brought Lelouch back to where they were and what they were doing. Granted, they weren't going to their death this time, or returning from hell with blood on their hands, but this wasn't their small, comfortable world, their small, comfortable home. This was the world, the entirety of Britannia, places they could never see any other way and would never see again, places Lelouch had never intended to visit.

Places, and people, he didn't really _want_ to visit. The thought of what awaited him in Area 1 slipped through Lelouch's comfortable haze and he immediately started putting himself back together.

Suzaku sighed and shifted, still holding Lelouch but offering him an opening to slip away if he chose. Lelouch didn't particularly want to, no matter how decadent and inappropriate it suddenly felt to lie here in Suzaku's arms, but he did appreciate the gesture.

Enough that he lifted his head to kiss Suzaku's forehead and fished Suzaku's hand out from under his skirts, bringing Suzaku's fingers up to his mouth and lazily sucking them as his mind worked and worried over what faces they should present to the world, what roles they should play, what variations on young devoted lovers they should offer.

Suzaku grinned at him. "Keep that up, even with that distant expression, and Cecile'll have to wait until we finish round two."

Lelouch laughed around Suzaku's fingers, giving him one last lick and a light kiss before releasing them. "That'll never do. Considering how closely I'm planning on adhering to her rules, we shouldn't start out by antagonizing her."

"Can't hold off for a few days?" Suzaku teased.

"It's close to two weeks, and no. I can't," Lelouch said. "Not now."

Suzaku's teasing smile faded. "And I doubt that's because you're still flush with the newness of love."

Lelouch felt a twinge of guilt. Yes, keeping Suzaku happy and sated was more important on this trip than it would have been at home. Suzaku couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, and he very nearly glowed with satisfaction when Lelouch spent the night in his bed. The absence of that glow would have looked like romantic troubles, even to those people who weren't sure if Lelouch and Suzaku had actually slept together. Lelouch had planned on making sure Suzaku maintained his aura of well-fuckedness throughout the entire voyage; an easy and pleasant enough task on his part. He hadn't expected any resistance from Suzaku on that.

But Suzaku wasn't an idiot, not really, and he knew just as well as Lelouch did that their safety and happiness were completely contingent on their putting up a good front.

If only he wasn't such a sentimental _fool_ about it sometimes.

Still, if there was one thing Lelouch knew how to do, it was placating Suzaku's occasional insecurity. "Didn't you watch the last games? It's not new to me." Suzaku huffed a little and Lelouch kissed the irritation from his lips. "I have loved you from afar for years, no, since the beginning of time itself. Our souls intermingling in the ether of potentia e'en before our births…" He would have continued, but Suzaku was already laughing too hard (nearly silent laughter that shook his whole body) to be a good audience.

"You are so…"

"Eloquent? Erudite? Mind-meltingly moving in my murmurs?"

Suzaku kissed him, still laughing a little. "Cheesy."

Lelouch smiled and kissed him back, pleased at averting one of Suzaku's all-too-common crises of conscience. "Then let's just say I'm happy to have you all to myself for a while."

"You always have me," Suzaku said easily. Lelouch just shot him a look and slid off the bed.

"Come on, we should go."

Suzaku came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Lelouch's chest and kissing his neck. "What's wrong?"

Lelouch sighed and let the slight irritation with the whole situation with Kallen flow away. It didn't matter – yes, he and Suzaku had been through a lot together, and yes, Lelouch really enjoyed both the closeness and the physical aspect of their relationship. And, yes, the _idea_ of Suzaku being in love with him was strongly appealing.

But none of that was necessary. All that was _needed_ was for Lelouch and Suzaku to convince the rest of Britannia that they were madly in love. Actual sentiment was just wishful thinking. Lelouch hadn't done anything to earn Suzaku's actual love, and had his hands full with just keeping Suzaku's lust focused on him. Well, mostly focused on him.

Huh. Apparently that irritation wasn't as easy to shrug off as Lelouch had hoped. But, again, it didn't matter. He forced a smile on his face and leaned into Suzaku's embrace. "There's nothing wrong. I'm just a little nervous. The last time we left Area 11…"

Suzaku hummed and nodded against Lelouch's neck. "I know what you mean. But this time it'll be better."

"Because we're in this together, this time," Lelouch said, trying not to think about the fact that the only reason they hadn't worked together last time was his arrogance and lack of trust.

Suzaku, clearly not thinking of that at all, just grinned. "And together, we can do anything."


	3. Bumps Along the Way

As it turned out, 'anything' meant letting Lloyd and Cecile ramble on about what they would expect on this tour, their duties and responsibilities, how they were supposed to showcase their talents – the hobby that each Tribute chose to indulge in after victory – and, most importantly, how to present themselves overall.

"Remember," Cecile said, reaching the end of a long lecture, "these are the people whose daughters and sons have fallen in the Hunger Games. They deserve compassion."

"Even Area 2?" Suzaku blurted out, looking appalled at himself the moment the words escaped his lips. "I mean…"

"Even Area 2," Cecile said firmly. "Shaming those who've lost is in poor taste, and given how often Area 11 wins" ( _almost never_ ) "this is a rare and golden opportunity to make a good impression."

It occurred to Lelouch that Cecile would never have organized a Victor's Tour before. She would have watched them, along with the rest of Britannia and its Areas, but Area 11 had never won a game while she'd been Pendragon's representative. The only one here with any actual experience was Lloyd and, while Lelouch was comfortable taking his advice and instruction before entering the arena, he wasn't as comfortable with taking Lloyd's advice on presenting a good face.

It was up to Cecile to give them the sort of advice her colleagues had given her, and Lelouch to improvise in real time if things got out of control. Although, as it turned out, that might not be necessary. Suzaku, for all his bluster against Area 2, seemed incapable of being anything other than respectful and bashful and humble. He remembered something about every Tribute, like the fire the girl from 12 had lit that led to her death, and after each visit, he made Lelouch remember them too.

Lelouch had thought that Area 10 would have been the worst, after Suzaku slipped into Lelouch's room with a purloined bottle of alcohol and kept him up all night, asking questions about Rolo. Questions that Lelouch, having never really paid attention to the boy, could only rarely answer. It had started off irritating but tolerable, but once the bottle was half-empty and Lelouch started _answering_ Suzaku's questions, dredging up observations and inductions that he hadn't even noticed himself making about Rolo when he'd been alive…

That had been unbearable. The last thing Lelouch wanted was to be reminded of anything that had happened during the games, and anything to do with Rolo, the boy he'd used until he'd sacrificed himself for Lelouch, made for even worse memories.

Area 2 was, in its way, a kind of revenge for Lelouch there. Despite having gone through nine other Areas, Suzaku still had some lingering feelings about Area 2. Lelouch suspected they were related to the way Luciano had killed Euphy, but since they would be visiting her Area next, he decided not to mention it. And the way Suzaku held him, one hand constantly around Lelouch's waist, both protective and possessive, made Lelouch wonder if it really was only the memory of Euphy's death that was making Suzaku so awkward.

Either way, Lelouch did his job and made Suzaku's guarded paranoia look sweet. He melted into Suzaku's touch, smiling and relaxed and even occasionally nuzzling or whispering into Suzaku's ear. He did everything he could to make it look like they were simply in love, rather than reliving the worst of the games as they rode through the city, to the enforced cheers of the general population.

Taking care of their appearance and Suzaku's nervousness distracted Lelouch enough that it took him nearly the entire parade through the city to realize that there were almost twice as many Peacekeepers as there should have been for a gathering this size. He made a mental note of that, filing it away for later, and blew a kiss at one of the sergeants, smirking at the slight darkening of her expression.

The families of the fallen Tributes were always lined up at the stage where the parades ended, and Lelouch easily recognized Luciano's father (just as cruel-eyed and hard as his son) and what must have been his younger brother. The boy, probably not even Nunnally's age, kept his eyes focused on Lelouch, narrowed and dark, the way a child's eyes should never be.

It was perverted, what they were doing to him. What they'd probably done to Luciano – taking the most vulnerable and delicate of them, their children, and teaching them to be vicious and killers and the kind of adult who saw other people only as tools. Lelouch, someone who had to fight that same urge that he'd been born with for fear of earning Nunnally's hatred or his mother's disappointment, found it both indulgent and dangerous. He wasn't sure what he would have been capable of if he'd let that part of himself run free, but it concerned him. It outright frightened him to see that same darkness nurtured and encouraged in others.

But that wasn't his problem. He smiled at the boy, keeping his eyes soft and gentle. Prey-like to the young, clueless predator. Either he'd learn not to trust the appearance of vulnerability or he'd end up dead, like his brother. Lelouch didn't particularly care which.

Suzaku, however, seemed to. His face grew pale and his eyes widened, as if seeing Luciano's family made him a person rather than the boogeyman Suzaku had considered him. Lelouch didn't have the same problem – he'd always known that Luciano was basically the same as him; he'd known that while spreading his legs and he'd known that while standing over Luciano's battered, bleeding, dying body. But it didn't matter to him. To Suzaku, it _mattered._

To Suzaku, almost everything mattered.

It would have been so easy to play on that, to make Suzaku as uncomfortable as Suzaku had made him after Area 10. But there was no point; Suzaku was doing as good a job of that himself as Lelouch could ever hope to.

So they simply moved on to Area 1, the final destination before Pendragon, with Suzaku still slightly unsettled and Lelouch more concerned with watching out for him than for himself.

Which, as it turned out, was a mistake.

Cornelia was a Victor of the Hunger Games so, even without Euphy's participation and death in last year's, she would have had a place on stage with the rest of the Victors. But she wouldn't have been close enough to break past the flimsy ribbon barrier that separated Lelouch and Suzaku from the rest of the stage's occupants and rip Lelouch from Suzaku's grip, holding a knife at his throat.

Immediately, every Peacekeeper in the vicinity trained their guns on her, just waiting for a kill order. Lelouch took less than half a second to berate himself for not paying attention to the way Cornelia had been looking at him (the narrowed, judging eyes of a far-from-helpless victim) before trying to control and calm the situation.

"Don't shoot!" As hard as it was not to fight, Lelouch forced himself to relax in Cornelia's arms. "Don't shoot, I'm fine." Cornelia huffed a half-laugh, half-snort and Lelouch turned his head towards her, wincing as the blade at his throat sliced shallowly into his skin. "Revenge, sister?"

His voice was so soft that even Cornelia would have had trouble hearing it clearly if she hadn't been paying attention. She was though, and her narrowed eyes hardened further. "If you knew then how could you let that happen? How could you let Euphy…"

"Would you have me die in her place?" Lelouch asked reasonably.

" _Yes_."

"Ah." Lelouch smiled. "And yet it's too late for that. Taking my life now won't bring her back, Cornelia."

The knife pressed against Lelouch's skin, drawing blood from yet another scratch. "Then let it be just as you said, _little brother_. Revenge."

"Please don't."

Both Lelouch and Cornelia looked up at that, Suzaku's soft voice trembling with uncertainty. "Please don't… what happened to Euphy wasn't his fault. It was mine. I should have been there, I shouldn't have left her alone, I should have–"

"You should have _protected_ her!" Cornelia snapped. "She trusted you and you _abandoned_ her."

"I know." Suzaku stepped forward, his arms open and defenceless. "Lelouch didn't have anything to do with it. He wouldn't have… Please. Let him go and take me."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "She doesn't want _you_ , Suzaku. Stay out of this, you have no idea what's going on." Lelouch himself had only a partial idea, understandable enough when he thought about what he'd do to anyone who hurt or threatened Nunnally. If the same poisonous blood that ran through his veins and made him want to destroy the entire world to remake it so that Nunnally would be happier ran through Cornelia's, then Lelouch understood on a deep, instinctive level what she was going through. Without Euphy, who would have likely been her Nunnally, Cornelia wouldn't have any restraint on that cold part of herself that cared nothing for anyone, that didn't even see people as people.

She would see Lelouch and their shared father and decide that he could have stopped it if he'd so chosen. That he hadn't would make it his fault; no matter that it was Suzaku who'd left her alone, that it was Luciano's blade covered in Euphy's blood, that it was Rolo and Adriana who had watched passively or amused as Euphy died.

The blood Lelouch and Cornelia shared meant that they were more than just _people_ to each other. They were born and raised to be more than others, and held to higher standards.

Standards that Lelouch had failed when he allowed Euphy to be killed. And Cornelia was the only one who could hold him up to them.

Lelouch closed his eyes. "If you kill me, they'll be forced to shoot you."

"I know that."

"Nunnally will cry."

There was no response to that. Lelouch wondered if Cornelia felt the same way about Nunnally that Lelouch had felt about Euphy. They'd never even exchanged a single word, but Lelouch had gone in willing to die, not only for Suzaku, but for Euphy if he could have. If Cornelia had that same damnable sentimentality, only for Nunnally, delicate and broken in her wheelchair…

With a strangled curse, Cornelia released Lelouch, throwing him into Suzaku's arms. Suzaku held him tight, covering him with his entire body, just in case the Peacekeepers opened fire. After fifteen seconds without a single shot fired – the longest fifteen seconds of Lelouch's life – Lelouch peeked out over Suzaku's shoulder at Lloyd's blandly curious face and figured everything was as safe as it was going to be. Not that Lloyd was a great barometer for what was actually going on, with his endless cheery curiosity and lack of natural fear (or morals) but while Lelouch would have expected him to stand by and watch, taking notes, while Lelouch was captured and manhandled at knifepoint, a battalion of guns pointed in his general direction would have at least perturbed him.

Probably.

The sound of a knife clattering to the stage floor brought Lelouch's attention back to Cornelia, who was being held down and forced to kneel by three guards. A fourth, higher ranking than the others (a captain, Lelouch surmised) stood by them, listening to something in his earpiece and looking very displeased.

"Make the call, girl."

It took Lelouch a moment to realize that the captain was talking to him, then another to process what, exactly, he was asking for.

Lelouch looked at Cornelia kneeling before him, humbled but still furious and vengeful. If he showed mercy, would she just take it as pity? Would it make things worse? Having her killed here and now was by far the cleanest and safest way of dealing with this, particularly since they could very well meet again as mentors in future Hunger Games.

Suzaku stiffened behind Lelouch. "Does he mean that _you_ get to decide…"

Of course, Suzaku wasn't as quick as Lelouch but he had his own way of figuring things out. Still, it was impressive that Suzaku had come to that conclusion at all. Peacekeeper justice was always swift and decisive, ignoring completely the wishes of the victims and occasionally punishing them too. For a Peacekeeper to take his cue from a Number, even a Victor, was unheard of.

This was being recorded. Lelouch felt a sharp chill run down his spine as he realized that this was on display, from Cornelia's attack to Lelouch's escape to his choice. He set his jaw. If he was going to break character, it wasn't going to be over something as small as a surprise attack from his estranged half-sister.

In fact, it suddenly occurred to Lelouch that she might easily be nothing but a pawn for their father, an excuse to put Lelouch in an awkward position or a justification for Suzaku's execution.

Lelouch felt like a fool for almost falling for it.

"Please don't hurt her," Lelouch said, making his words a plea instead of a command. "I understand what it's like to love a little sister, and I could only hope to have the courage to do the same thing in Cornelia's place." There was no doubt in Lelouch's mind that if Cornelia could have, she would have stood up for Euphy as a Tribute. "I can't even imagine how much pain she's in."

"You're right, you _can't_ ," Cornelia snarled, apparently less humbled than Lelouch had thought. The guards ignored her, dragging her up and away from the stage. Lelouch leaned back in Suzaku's warm arms and shuddered slightly, wondering if there was just something about him that made his neck so desirable to blades.

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch took a deep breath and exhaled out his tension. "Come, Suzaku. We have a job to do."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

The mess in Area 1 made Lelouch look back on all the other Areas he'd visited, re-evaluating them. Area 12 had been tired and muted, the only Area that now had fewer Victors than Area 11 (two, to Area 11's three). Area 10 had been filled with depressed resentment. Most of the other Areas had more or less followed that pattern.

But Area 4 had anger bubbling under their enforced cheer, carefully restrained behind the strong muscles of the fishermen and women who brought in that Area's riches. Area 2 had been outright resentful – and why not; Lelouch had stolen their victory. Area 8 had feasted them better than any previous Tributes, although Lelouch was leery to presume much from such paltry evidence. But there were marked differences between this year and previous ones. Differences that made Lelouch suspicious.

And he wasn't the only one.

"Care to share?" Lloyd asked casually as the train made its way to Pendragon, a glass of red wine untouched in one hand, some strange fish-mayonnaise-bun thing that Cecile had made in the other.

Lelouch eyed the food warily. "As long as you promise not to."

"Safety measure. As long as I'm holding this, she won't offer me anything more," Lloyd explained. "And don't try to distract me – I'm capable of hyperfocusing when I want to, and that little incident in Area 1 makes me rather want to hyperfocus on you."

"That _little incident_ nearly got Lelouch killed!" Suzaku protested. "Don't make light of it."

Lelouch couldn't help the warm smile at Suzaku's defence of him, but his tone was still level and almost hard. "It's a little late to turn your curiosity to us now, Lloyd. Whatever's happening has been happening the whole time."

Lloyd just nodded. "I was aware, but I trusted that you'd think your way through it. Now I'm not so sure."

"It's not over yet," Lelouch protested mildly, but it wasn't really an objection. "I suppose the long and short of it is that my father objects to my desire to keep my lover alive."

To his credit, Lloyd just kept quiet until Lelouch fully explained everything.

It wasn't until he was done that it occurred to him that adding Kallen's visit might have been sharing something Suzaku himself didn't know.

But Suzaku's face – shifting between shocked and embarrassed, something that looked almost shamed – gave Lelouch a vicious jolt of satisfaction. Kallen hadn't told him. It was fair enough, as they'd hidden their own relationship from Lelouch for however long it had gone on for.

"Alright," Lloyd said as soon as Lelouch was done. "If that's the situation, then I can see why you chose to act as you did. At least this way we'll be forewarned before the next games, if Cornelia wants to make an issue of this." His brows furrowed. "Of course, I'll be well out of this by then, with Suzaku to take over for me…"

Lelouch shrugged. "So there it is. Pendragon, then home, and then this will no longer be your concern." He stood, inclining his head slightly. "If you'll pardon me…"

He could sense Suzaku's indecision – the temptation to stay behind like a coward and stave off any confrontation over what Kallen had told Lelouch warring against Suzaku's natural nobility and honesty. Lelouch, who had a reasonably good idea of how Suzaku's internal debate was fated to end, just smiled softly to himself in satisfaction when Suzaku muttered a polite excuse and rushed after him.

"It's not what you think," Suzaku started the moment the door was closed behind them. Lelouch leaned back on Suzaku's bed, as at home as he would have been in his own rooms, smug in the knowledge that he'd already forgive Suzaku for whatever had happened, and now it was entirely up to Suzaku to relieve his own anxiety about the situation. "We weren't… we never…"

Lelouch leaned forward as Suzaku stumbled over his explanations, fascinated in the rose flush that crept over Suzaku's cheeks, at how vulnerable he looked like this. "You never what? Kissed?"

The flush deepened. "Yes, but it's not…"

"Not what?" Lelouch felt a little cruel, taking this much amusement in Suzaku's humiliation. "What, Suzaku? You didn't want it? You didn't like it? You don't want her or, even worse, you were thinking of me the whole time?"

"What? No! I mean, I… I wasn't thinking at all, exactly," Suzaku said. "I wasn't expecting it, and Kallen was… _is_ one of my best friends and I…"

"Was she good?" Lelouch asked out of pure curiosity and no jealousy. None at all.

Suzaku bit his lip. "I don't know how to answer that."

Lelouch snorted. "Good answer." He stood and slinked towards Suzaku. "I suppose I should be more specific." His tongue darted out from between his lips and Suzaku's eyes immediately dropped to watch it, to watch the sexy smirk cross Lelouch's face. "Was she better than me?"

He could see Suzaku swallowing, the rapid heartbeat that pulsed in his neck. More than anything else at that moment, Lelouch wanted to taste that pulse, to hold it between his teeth and bite, just hard enough for Suzaku to realise that he was at Lelouch's mercy. That he was _Lelouch's_.

…alright, there may have still been a lingering bit of possessive jealousy. Just a bit.

"It was just a kiss," Suzaku finally managed to get out, his words rough and harsh with repressed desire. "Just _one_ kiss and we never did anything else."

Lelouch's mood turned immediately dark. How _dare_ Suzaku lie to him. "All those mornings, all alone, and nothing happened? You want each other, Suzaku, a blind man could see that, and you had every opportunity, every means, every motive, and yet you claim innocence?"

"I swear it, Lelouch. It was just the once, and I've never wanted her like I want you. I've never wanted _anyone_ the way I want you."

"Do you want children?" Lelouch asked abruptly. Suzaku looked stunned at the subject change. "I can't give you children, Suzaku. You can fuck me until we're both raw, and I'll never quicken for you. I can't give you a family, or a legacy, or any of the myriad of things that she can. You may want me now, but give it time."

Suzaku's expression darkened and he grabbed Lelouch and threw him to the bed, easily pinning him. " _Stop this_! Why are you… is this because of your sister? Lelouch, you have to stop trying to protect me by pushing me away. It only makes me more determined to stay with you, to keep you safe."

Lelouch laughed. That was a _much_ more noble motivation than he actually had. He really just wanted to protect himself from being left, abandoned, again. He arched against Suzaku's body, drawing low groans from them both. "You don't have to stick your dick in me to protect me, Suzaku."

"Apparently…" Suzaku rolled his hips and released one of Lelouch's arms to slide a hand under Lelouch's skirt. "If your father wants us to show how in love we are, sticking my dick in you is _exactly_ the best thing I can do to protect you."

"Justifications," Lelouch shot back, but his heart wasn't in it. The desire to possess Suzaku was still strong. He wanted to hold him; in his arms, inside himself, keeping him close and loved and… "Please tell me you can reach the lube."

As Suzaku reached over Lelouch's shoulder, releasing Lelouch's other wrist and rummaging through the bedside table, Lelouch's hands flew to the front of Suzaku's pants. They were both too keyed up and on edge for anything more than pants down, skirt up, and a rough, quick fuck. Lelouch wanted Suzaku in him, and if that meant skimping on prep, then so be it. By now he could take anything that Suzaku threw at him, and learn to love it.

Suzaku seemed just as impatient, if rather less inclined to risk hurting Lelouch. The first slicked finger was quickly joined by a second, thrusting and scissoring inside Lelouch, but for all Suzaku's haste, he was still thorough. Lelouch shifted and whined and groaned, but Suzaku just set his jaw and made sure that Lelouch was properly ready to take him.

"I don't want to have to be careful or hold back," he whispered in Lelouch's ear, sliding a third finger in, and Lelouch arched against him, moaning wordlessly, unable to even think of an argument, never mind articulate one.

Still, when Suzaku removed his fingers and lined up his cock, Lelouch had recovered enough of his own senses to wrap his legs around Suzaku's waist, urging him in, closer.

"You're so gorgeous," Suzaku groaned as he pushed into Lelouch's willing, eager body. "How do you… every time…"

Lelouch laughed outright, clenching around Suzaku before he was fully in. "You make it so easy to give you everything." Suzaku pressed in and Lelouch relaxed just enough to let him slide all the way in. "You don't even know what you do to me."

"True enough," Suzaku allowed, with a wry humour that would have impressed Lelouch (given the circumstances) were it not _for_ the circumstances, which included Suzaku's cock inside him _not moving_.

Before he could demand it, though, Suzaku grasped his hips and moved out just enough to thrust back in, stealing Lelouch's words with the sudden sensation of being taken in the best way, with Suzaku enthusiastically doing most of the work.

This was just what he needed, probably the only thing that would calm him down, if only temporarily, after confronting the fact that Suzaku was only his for a short time, until they were pulled apart. It might not be Kallen, and it might not be Suzaku's desire for a family, but it would be something. Love… well, lust like this, built on shared stress and physical pleasure could only last so long.

Which was too bad, because Lelouch admired and adored Suzaku enough that he might actually want more than the few years he could keep Suzaku's attention with his body and their shared experiences.

Suzaku changed his angle, hitting Lelouch's prostate with every thrust, and Lelouch threw his head back, crying out every time Suzaku moved, revelling in the fact that he had Suzaku _now_.

At least for now.

"Close?" Suzaku asked between thrusts. Lelouch nodded frantically, not wanting to disrupt Suzaku's rhythm to catch his breath enough to answer verbally. Suzaku grunted in acknowledgement and wrapped his hand around Lelouch's cock, pulling hard and fast and _perfect_ , getting Lelouch off the way only he could.

Lelouch nearly sobbed as he came, riding the crest of perfection and wanting desperately for this to last forever. For Suzaku to be his, forever.

And when Suzaku collapsed beside him, catching his breath inhumanly quickly as they basked in each other, Lelouch could almost pretend that he would.

Suzaku laughed, still a little breathless. "I think we ruined the dress."

"C.C. will be displeased," Lelouch said, not really caring. "You tell her."

"Coward." Suzaku buried his face in Lelouch's neck. "…are we okay?"

The illusion of permanence melted away and Lelouch tried, mostly successfully, not to tense up. "We never weren't okay, Suzaku. Whatever you choose in the end, I'll always be grateful for what we have now. I just… I need you to keep this up for a little longer. At least until the end of the next games, and the next fad to hit Pendragon."

Suzaku huffed a sigh, sounding unhappy. "I chose you. And I'll keep choosing you. I'm in love with you, Lelouch."

"I know," Lelouch said, running his fingers through Suzaku's hair. "I love you too." … _for now_.

"I wish you believed me," Suzaku muttered against Lelouch's throat, butting gently against Lelouch's hand in pleasure at being petted. "I wish I knew what words to say to convince you when nothing I've said or done so far has. It's been _months_ , Lelouch."

Lelouch sighed. "Months that you've spent in the company of a girl you ' _just kissed, Lelouch, that's all, really it didn't mean anything_ '."

"That's unfair."

"Yes, of course it is," Lelouch said insincerely. "My apologies."

Suzaku made that unhappy sound again, but didn't argue. Instead, he chose to nuzzle at Lelouch's skin, a silent request for peace and comfort. He hadn't done that much since just after the games ended, when Lelouch would wake up from an uneasy dream or an outright nightmare to Suzaku's clinging hands and soft whimpers as he attempted to hide in the crook of Lelouch's neck. It never took much to console him, just a caress and a warm word, and he would breathe out in a sigh of relief and settle next to Lelouch, warm and heavy and already falling asleep. Sometimes Lelouch followed him immediately, but sometimes he stayed awake and watched him, wondering at how fragile Suzaku's psyche was or, more likely, how hard his was that he'd never needed to be soothed in return.

Even if Lelouch had been genuinely upset and not merely miffed at Suzaku's obstinate refusal to admit to his predilections, he never could have turned away from that silent plea. His fingers carded themselves through Suzaku's hair, his lips pressed gently against Suzaku's forehead, and Suzaku immediately relaxed, no doubt thinking himself forgiven.

And let him. It was either more complicated then that, or much less complicated and either way, it was over. The first option meant that Lelouch's jealousy and possessiveness had overruled his common sense, so Lelouch chose to believe the second option, that he had never been upset in the first place.

At least that way, he still had his pride.


	4. La Plus Ca Change...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the dubcon/noncon warning comes in, with some added warnings at the end of the chapter (you can click to the end notes to see if there's any specific sexual squicks you might have you'd rather be spoiled for than run across accidentally).

Pendragon was just as Lelouch remembered it – bright and flashy and impressive and utterly disgusting. The crowds seemed delighted to see them back, and Lelouch played it up as much as he could. Suzaku was a great help, doing small things like giving him hugs from behind, kissing at his earlobe; couply things that they'd never been relaxed enough to do coming back from the games. Things that made them seem less like two people brought together through chance and shared trauma and more like two people genuinely in love.

The only regret Lelouch had was that it seemed so real.

Lloyd had more or less left them to their own devices, content to watch them succeed or fall on their own. Every now and then, he'd cackle and make a comment or a jibe that steered Lelouch or Suzaku in the right direction; something like how when Lelouch looked like a prude when he flinched when Suzaku surprised him. This led to Suzaku giving Lelouch warning – a heavier step, a soft murmur, a hand on his hip before it snaked out to wrap around his waist – every time he embraced him. Lelouch, for his part, learned to loosen up more and his smiles seemed more genuine and relaxed, and the little laughs (giggles, really) that escaped him when Suzaku nipped playfully at his ear sounded real and delightedly embarrassed, rather than tense and forced.

The one thing Lelouch hadn't expected to contend with after arriving at Pendragon, in the same rooms they'd stayed in before and after the games, was the women.

"Suzaku, out. We're having a girl-to-girl chat."

"To girl," C.C. added, her blandly amused tone a contrast to Cecile's indignantly concerned one. Lelouch glared at her, receiving only a blank stare in return, no sign that C.C. had tattled on him to Cecile, although Lelouch was pretty certain that was what had happened.

Well, he couldn't really blame anyone but himself for trusting her in the first place.

Suzaku just blinked up at them. "Um… can I get dressed first?"

Lelouch lounged back on his bed, watching Suzaku dress once C.C. and Cecile had left the room. "You're far too easy to bully."

"You love me like that," Suzaku said, taking a break from dressing to offer Lelouch a kiss, which Lelouch accepted gratefully. "Tonight's the big night."

"Don't remind me," Lelouch retorted, playfully swatting Suzaku away. "I'll have to think up some grand finale."

The way Suzaku smiled at that, secret and amused, so different from his typical open expressions should have made Lelouch nervous, but then he was dressed and out the door and C.C. and Cecile were there and Lelouch had more important things to focus on.

"How could you have kept this from me?" Cecile asked plaintively. Lelouch did feel a little bad; Cecile had been trying her best for them, doing everything she could think of to help, and the thing with his father certainly complicated things… "A love triangle has to be carefully handled, or else everyone comes out looking bad."

Lelouch blinked. Of all the things… "This is about _Kallen_?"

"What? Who?" Cecile asked, seeming genuinely confused. "I was talking about poor little Euphemia."

"Euphy's dead," Lelouch said, unable to follow that line of thought.

Cecile looked at him with something close to pity. "That's hardly enough to stop true love, Lelouch. "

"They knew each other for two days. _Barely_."

"True love," Cecile said again, as if that was all the argument that needed to be made. "Now, the trick is to make sure you look like her _successor_ and not her replacement."

"Aren't those the same things?" C.C. asked, her tone innocent, but her eyes amused.

Cecile shook her head vehemently. "It's all about nuance! The trick is telling the same story with a different flavour. Ooh, perhaps we could have Lelouch come out in a similar outfit to one of Euphemia's–"

"Vetoed."

"A more mature look, naturally, but they both have those elegant cheekbones and those gorgeous naturally purple eyes…"

"Hers were more lavender, Lelouch's are more of a deeper violet." C.C. no longer looked amused, life and death being far less important than colour coordination. "They're completely different."

This was the last thing Lelouch wanted to deal with right now. He left them arguing in his room, pulling on a simple cornflower blue dress and trying not to think about how Euphy would have looked in it. He caught a glimpse of himself in a window as he passed, noting how dainty and fragile he seemed. Euphy would have looked even more so, only it wouldn't have been just superficial with her.

"Done already?" Suzaku asked, getting up from the breakfast table to make Lelouch a cup of hot chocolate. It was almost irritatingly domestic. Lelouch bit back the snappish reply on the tip of his tongue and just nodded as he accepted the mug. "How was it?"

Lelouch forced a smile. "Fine. It was… fine." He took a quick sip and then put the mug aside, feeling a little nauseous. "Are you ready for today?"

Suzaku's expression flickered from curious to concerned to the same fake happiness that Lelouch felt on his own face. "More than ready. Are you wearing… should I change so that we match?"

The guarded tone of Suzaku's voice, his word choice, the way he switched from commenting on Lelouch to commenting on himself… "Do I really look that bad?"

"Just a little… delicate," Suzaku said carefully. "A bit pale. Maybe it's your dress?"

"It's not the dress." Lelouch gave up on the idea of food, his stomach roiling far too much to even consider eating. "I'll have it together by the time we leave."

"Which is sooner rather than later," Lloyd interrupted from across the room, "So grabbing some food and getting ready wouldn't be a horrible idea, and where is Cecile? I shouldn't be doing her job, not the responsible one…" He trailed off, mumbling complaints to himself, and Lelouch took the opportunity to push past Suzaku towards the unappetizing food.

Or at least to _try_ to do that. It was a bit more difficult that it should have been, with Suzaku grabbing his arm. "Lelouch…"

Lelouch didn't want to hear it. He turned in Suzaku's arms, one hand rising to thread through Suzaku's hair as he pressed his body against his, leaning down slightly due to his heels to press their lips together. Suzaku froze for a moment, Lelouch's sudden actions understandably throwing him off his guard. Lelouch didn't let up, though, tightening his grip in Suzaku's hair and letting out a soft pleading sound. Suzaku responded immediately to _that_ , pulling Lelouch closer and deepening the kiss.

It felt just as good as it always did, and Lelouch melted against Suzaku, letting him take control. He would have been happy with whatever Suzaku wanted – anything from moving to a more private location to being taken right there on the breakfast table, jostling Lloyd's coffee. What Suzaku actually did, however, was gentle the kiss until he could break it without seeming like he was rejecting Lelouch and give a deep, gratified sigh as he held Lelouch close.

"I love you."

Lelouch closed his eyes, imagining Suzaku saying that to Euphy. It wouldn't be exactly the same, of course, Suzaku wouldn't have been quite so rough with her, would have treated her with the reverence and gentleness she deserved. Kallen, on the other hand, would have been treated like an equal, with confidence and passion, as Suzaku rested secure in the knowledge that she could have taken anything he would have thrown at her.

"Alright, what's wrong Lelouch? I'm not going to let you just shrug this off and fake your way through it."

Lelouch tried to pull away, or at least hide his face, but Suzaku wouldn't let him. "Lelouch, I'm serious. Something's really bothering you."

"Right now, I'd say that _something_ is you," Lelouch snapped. "Let me go."

Suzaku let him go. Lelouch was a little surprised that it was that easy.

"You know what, Lelouch? Fine. I can't figure out what goes on in that head of yours, and I'm not sure I even want to. I'll do anything, _anything_ I can to make this better, but I don't even know what to fix." Suzaku finally looked away, and Lelouch didn't want to know what his face looked like to make Suzaku look so hurt and guilty at the same time. "I can't do anything except be here for when you decide to trust me."

It wasn't a lack of trust, Lelouch wanted to explain, at least not in Suzaku. He'd figured out fairly early on that Suzaku pretty much only lied to himself, whereas Lelouch took great pleasure in lying to everyone around him. But Suzaku's self-deceptions were strong enough to affect Lelouch's life. That was what came from tying two people that closely together.

Lelouch trusted Suzaku to be as honest as he could be. What he didn't trust was _how_ honest Suzaku could be. And every time Suzaku told Lelouch he loved him, Lelouch knew that it was true, but only as true as Suzaku was able to be.

And that was why, while Lelouch trusted Suzaku, he couldn't be completely honest in return. There was too great a risk.

"That's fine, Suzaku. I'll be sure to let you know if I need anything."

Suzaku made an impatient sound, but released him. The moment Lelouch escaped his grasp, Cecile burst into the room, demanding to know how they could have let things get this late without alerting her, C.C. entering on her heels and giving Lelouch a cool, appraising look and hustling him out of the room to dress him properly while Cecile called for Suzaku's stylist. The rest of the day passed far too quickly for any more conversation. Lelouch, as promised, managed to get everything under control as they visited museums and art galleries and even an elementary school, although that last visit was short and very tightly controlled. Then they were separated the moment they returned to their rooms, to dress for the evening's ball.

Lelouch took a deep breath as Cecile cooed over his reflection in the full length mirror. This was the last ridiculous thing he'd have to do before returning to Area 11, and he was eager to have it over.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

The dance was held in the Aries villa, one of the Emperor's properties. Lelouch just hoped that he wouldn't be there. The last thing he needed after the stress of playacting for all of Britannia and keeping the truth of his feelings and fears from Suzaku now that he had unfortunately decided to be uncannily perceptive at the most inconvenient time.

Lelouch dearly wished he hadn't smiled when he thought that. It wasn't _cute_ , or _sweet_ , or whatever was melting his idiot heart or libido or… or whatever.

It didn't help that Suzaku looked positively dashing. He always looked handsome, whether he was wearing one of the costumes from the capitol or the rugged leathers of his hunting gear, but there was something about the neat suit and carefully kempt hair that looked simply _dapper_. He looked just like the type of boy who gazed soulfully at his lover while being mystified by her moods and whims. It would have been sickening if it wasn't so damned attractive.

"You're smiling at me again."

"Shut up. It's not my fault that you look ridiculously tasty." Lelouch winced as the words left his mouth. Honesty felt like acid passing his lips.

And Suzaku, the total ass, just stifled a laugh.

Walking into the villa was like walking into a dream. Not one of Lelouch's dreams, with blood and smoke and screams, but the dreams of an innocent eight-year-old girl after eating sugar plums or something equally ridiculous. The twinkling white lights and the fluffy pastel decorations gave everything a soft, fairytale-like glow, and every wall of the room was lined with white couches and chaises, leaving room only for a space open for dancing and lines and lines of tables laden with delicacies. Most of which were also fluffy or pastel.

"It looks like a unicorn threw up in here," Suzaku said softly, beaming the way Lelouch had taught him to. Lelouch pasted his own I'm-so-happy-just-to-be-here smile on his face and laced his arm through Suzaku's.

His grip tightened as he realized who was walking towards them. Suzaku moved a little in front of him, subtly positioning himself between Lelouch and the perceived threat.

Lelouch was a little ashamed to admit that he cowered a bit. It didn't help.

"Lelouch." Schneizel's smile was as warm and open and fake as any of Lelouch's had been. "May I have the first dance?"

Suzaku's back stiffened, and Lelouch could easily imagine a scenario where Suzaku stood fast and defended him and the inevitable fall out from that. He untangled his arm from Suzaku's and held out his hand to Schneizel before that could happen.

"It would be my honour." He couldn't quite get the word 'pleasure' out.

Cecile spent hours teaching Lelouch to dance in heels, and his mother had delighted in dancing with him, during the early idle days before they grew bored and searched out things to do to distracted them from their life of leisure. Schneizel was a brilliant dancer, and following his lead was easier than any practice Lelouch had ever done. All he had to do was relax and trust in his brother.

Easier said than done.

"How are you finding Pendragon this time around?" Schneizel asked politely.

"It's a wonderland of joy and beauty," Lelouch snapped back. "What are you even doing here, Prime Minister?"

Schneizel grinned. "Don't you remember? I'm the new head gamemaster."

Ah, right. "And Clovis?"

"Disgraced, but still alive," Schneizel said, sounding slightly miffed. "Being the Emperor's son grants some degree of protection from the consequences of failure."

The warning was subtle, but there. "How much protection?"

Schneizel's grip on Lelouch shifted as he bent him in a graceful dip. Lelouch felt the blood rush to his head and something like panic wash over him until Schneizel pulled him back up, holding him almost indecently close. "Enough to save a life. Not enough to shield you from your duties."

Lelouch stiffened in Schneizel's arms. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Chinese gentleman…"

"Gao Hai. The Deputy Minister of Recreation and Entertainment." Schneizel smiled thinly. "Britannia's highest ranking pimp. And you, Lelouch, became his latest prostitute."

"When did that happen?"

"When you won the Hunger Games, and had people in your life you'd rather protect than your own body." Schneizel twirled Lelouch, returning him to his arms in a more distant, formal hold. "Normally, we can keep the predators away from victors until they turn eighteen – it heightens their perceived value and increases their intrigue. But you've already spread your legs for a fellow Tribute, and one who lost. You _have_ no intrigue. Fortunately, for you, Suzaku still does."

Lelouch pursed his lips, twisting them into something that looked like a smile as they danced. "You're getting to a point, I assume."

"Gao Hai has entertained requests for you, and for Suzaku, and for you and Suzaku. If you cooperate and fulfil his requests without any resistance and to his, and my, satisfaction, we will hold off on Suzaku until he comes of age. Otherwise, we'll separate you and threaten you both with the safety of your respective loved ones until you comply."

The dance came to an end, but Schneizel maintained his grip on Lelouch. "I'd suggest you refrain from eating anything. There is little that is less appealing than a vomiting whore." He smiled as he released Lelouch at the approach of one of the other partygoers. "Unless they pay extra for that."

Before Lelouch could find the words to respond to that, the young man who'd approached them moved up beside Schneizel, standing almost close enough to touch, but not quite. "Your special guests have gathered, and they're… getting to know one another. I would recommend sooner rather than later."

Schneizel smiled. "Thank you, Kanon." He turned to Lelouch, offering his arm. "Coming, my dear?"

The threats to Suzaku, the oblique threats to Nunnally… Lelouch inclined his head slightly, as he had seen some of the other women do, and took Schneizel's arm. It couldn't be any worse than what Luciano had done to him. "With my full cooperation, and without a hint of resistance."

The room Schneizel led him to was a combination of a bathroom and a changing room with a door at either end of the room; one that they'd entered through and one, most likely, that Lelouch would walk out of. There was a wall that was a single huge mirror, well-lit to highlight every possible flaw until it could be found and erased. The rest of the room was a pale off-white and elegantly tasteful, from the ivory taps in the sink and bathtub to the neatly folded edges of the toilet paper. Draped over one of the four chairs in the changing room section was a thin satiny dress, little more than a slip, fur-lined and a pale pink. Lelouch, without awaiting instructions, brushed his hair to the side, offering Schneizel his zipper so that he could undress.

"Just to be clear," Schneizel said as he unzipped Lelouch. "You are to do anything that our guests want of you. They've paid a great deal to be at the head of the line, and they have a particular desire for a boy that looks and acts like a girl when he's being fucked."

Lelouch raised his eyes at Schneizel's language choice as he shrugged out of his dress. "You've explained the consequences of noncompliance well enough, Schneizel. As long as you hold Suzaku's happiness and Nunnally's safety over my head, I'll behave."

"Good." Schneizel turned Lelouch around and lifted his chin up, ducking down to suddenly force a kiss on him, pushing his tongue into Lelouch's mouth and pressing in a small pill that Lelouch reflexively swallowed. "That should help you… _behave_."

Lelouch sputtered for a moment, coughing and almost choking on the pill now that he realized that it was a drug. Schneizel, ignoring his ungainly hacking, pushed him towards the sheer dress.

"Do try to enjoy yourself. It would make everyone so much more satisfied."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

When Lelouch was ready, or at least dressed and unable to procrastinate any longer, he knocked on the far door and cracked it open. The room beyond the door was dark and silent, and Lelouch thought for a moment that he'd guessed incorrectly.

Then a soft, deep voice came from the far corner.

"Come in, please."

Lelouch took a deep breath, and tried to distract himself with whatever he could think of – how smooth the silk was against his skin, the faint tickle of the fur, the solid floor beneath his bare feet, the way the temperature seemed to be rising…

Right. The pill Schneizel had forced on him. Likely an aphrodisiac or endurance enhancement. Lelouch slipped into the room, closing the door behind him, and waited for his eyes to adjust.

The darkness was far from absolute, although what Lelouch could see once he could make out anything more than mere shapes was not reassuring. The bed wasn't a surprise, but the size of it was intimidating; it could easily have held five people, and the ostentatious decorations that looked like chains dangling from the headboard were…

Not decorations at all. Lelouch swallowed hard and let his eyes drift elsewhere, to the bare table, just at hip level, and the hard chairs and soft couches, and large wooden trunks placed strategically around the room filled with things Lelouch probably couldn't even imagine. And, in the corner, the owner of that deep voice, seated in one of the chairs, leaning forward with his head propped up on his hands, just watching.

Suddenly, the slip felt at once like nothing at all, leaving Lelouch bare under this strange man's gaze, and like far too much, heavy and clinging and hot, making it hard to breathe. Lelouch's eyes squinted as he tried to make out the man's features, attempting to pierce the deeper shadows that surrounded him within the darkened room. Before he could, however, a pair of strong hands grabbed him from behind, one wrapping gently around his throat, flexing eagerly with the repressed desire to squeeze, and one sliding up his thigh, over his hip, and resting just above his cock, pressing on his pelvis. Lelouch gasped.

"Shh… hush," a man's voice growled lowly in Lelouch's ear. "Don't give up too much too fast." His lower hand slid down, over Lelouch's flaccid cock and balls, to rub at his perineum. "I want to have to work for it."

Lelouch felt his head roll back, his mouth closed to keep any sounds to himself as ordered. The hand at his throat twitched and Lelouch swallowed hard as fingers pressed against his pulse point. His breath came shallow and fast, almost panting and he'd barely been touched. Whatever Schneizel had given him was potent.

And in the next moment, all thoughts of the aphrodisiac or Schneizel or anything other than the man holding him fled from Lelouch's mind as a thick, dry finger forced its way inside him and an insistent erection pressed against him from behind, and a deep sigh tickled his skin before damp lips brushed against the side of his neck.

"How's the show?"

"Adequate," the same soft voice that had welcomed Lelouch into the room said. "But prepare him properly first. This isn't the time for selfishness."

The man behind Lelouch sighed, but obediently pulled his finger free and guided Lelouch with his hips and hands towards the bed. "I'm still gonna fuck you first."

Lelouch couldn't even parse that at the moment, as heat coursed through his body, practically burning where he was touched. He barely needed to be directed to kneel on the bed, panting desperately now with his ass in the air and the slip bunched up around his shoulders. The fur lining brushed against the back of his neck, soft and hot and nearly alive, and he was so hard it hurt. "Please…"

"Here, David," another, younger, voice said from behind Lelouch, out of sight, and Lelouch heard the sound of the lid of a tube flipping open, and the soft squishiness of something being squeezed. He nearly choked on his own drool as he tried to beg again, but the soothing pressure of being penetrated, the conflicting and arousing sensations of the burning stretch and the cool lubrication, made him groan in relief instead.

"He sounds so eager…"

"Do something about that, Claudio. It's ruining my concentration."

As a second finger slid into Lelouch, stretching and moving inside him with delicious friction, Lelouch felt another hand grab him by the hair and lift his head up, just enough to press a half-hard cock to his lips. As dry as Lelouch's mouth felt, there was nothing he wanted to do more, at that moment, than suck that cock.

So he did.

"Fuck, David, he's…"

"I know, he tightens up with every suck. I want…"

"Do it. Do it, fuck him, do it, he wants it, oh god, David, he wants you so bad, _fuck him_."

There was an unintelligible, bitten-off course, and suddenly the fingers were gone, replaced by a hard, thick cock, pushing inside Lelouch with only minimal prep and lube easing the way. It felt hot and painful and far too much far too quickly, and Lelouch _moaned_ around the erection in his mouth at how perfect it was.

"Oh, yes, _yes,_ David, fuck yes, harder," The hand in Lelouch's hair gripped tighter as its owner forced his cock deeper into Lelouch, down his throat until Lelouch felt like gagging. "Take him, take him 'till he _screams_ , oh fuck, _yes_!" A burst of salty-bitter liquid hit Lelouch's tongue before his head was pulled back further and more hot liquid landed on his face and in his hair. Lelouch peaked out between eyelids low with drugged arousal and the instinctive drive to protect his eyes against anything flying into them, and looked up to see a young brown-haired man, still fully dressed except for his open pants and naked erection, kneeling in front of him on the bed, still trembling from the force of his orgasm.

Their eyes met and Lelouch would have done something, leaned in for a kiss or wiped his face and licked his fingers clean, except that he was still being plowed into from behind, presumably by David, and now that that was the only sensation vying for his attention, everything else was forgotten. He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and rocked into each and every rough thrust, the slap of skin when his ass met David's hips immediately followed by a lighter slap as his erection hit his stomach, still hard and needy, leaking over the bedsheets, but untouched. "Please, more, please…"

"Someone shut him the fuck up!" David grunted from behind him.

Claudio moved aside, and another pair of hands urged Lelouch to roll over onto his back as David slipped out of him. Lelouch moved as quickly as he could, propping up his hips and spreading his legs in clear and open invitation. He saw David for the first time in the dim light, dark skin and red hair, as he pushed inside Lelouch again, immediately fucking him hard and fast and Lelouch arched his back against the bed and nearly screamed at how good it felt. He pushed up against the bed, his hips snapping up to meet David's cock, forcing it in him harder and faster, moaning and begging and completely losing control.

Until a strong hand pushed his shoulders back to the bed, and another body loomed in front of him, straddling his chest. Lelouch struggled futilely against the new pressure pinning him down, stopping him from bucking against steady fucking that had settled into a smooth rhythm once again, until pain bloomed in his right cheek as a strong arm backhanded him.

"Shut up, you little whore, and take my dick." Another cock pressed at Lelouch's lips, distracting him from the sting of the blow and Lelouch parted his lips eagerly, sucking avidly as his mouth was taken at an awkward and borderline painful angle.

"Not so rough, Edgar," a fifth voice protested (and Lelouch took a moment of clear thought to wonder just how many people he was supposed to service at once). "Bart and I still need a turn."

A rough hand grasped Lelouch's cock, the first time it had been touched since the drug took effect, and a soft chuckle came from around Lelouch's. "I'm just fine over here, Alfred. But I think David's not gonna hold out much longer."

"Shut up," David ground out, sounding almost pained, turning it into a mantra as he sped up. "Shut up, shut up, shut… _ah…_ " The steady rhythm faltered and stuttered and Lelouch tightened his ass in anticipation of David's grip digging into his hips and thrusting deeper and harder and the wordless shout as he finally came, pulsing and spasming inside Lelouch until he was spend. Edgar, meanwhile, had found the perfect angle, propped up over Lelouch's face with his hips angling down, to fuck Lelouch's throat. That didn't stop Lelouch from groaning as David pulled out and trails of semen slid out of Lelouch's ass, cooling instantly as they hit the air.

There wasn't even a moment's break before more fingers were opening him up, using the slick from David's spend as lube. Three fingers went in easily, then four, then Lelouch felt a fifth and sixth finger pressing inside him.

"Hey, Bart, look…"

"Mmm… yeah…" The same voice that had chuckled before outright laughed. "Let's do it." Before Lelouch's drug-and-sex-addled brain could figure out what he meant, something hot and wet enveloped his cock, completely blowing his mind with unexpected pleasure. He lost track of time and space, and when he recovered he was only half hard and Edgar had slid off of him, having spent himself in Lelouch's mouth and over his face and chest if the stickiness and bitter aftertaste were any indication.

Lelouch was sorry he'd missed it.

He felt boneless as either Bart or Alfred pulled him up to sit in his lap, manoeuvring Lelouch onto his cock and thrusting gently inside him. Lelouch, relaxed from orgasm and more stretched than he'd ever been, took him in easily, and leaned his head against the clothed shoulder in front of him, trying to clench harder to increase the friction.

"Shh, just relax, babe," the other one (Alfred or Bart) whispered against his ear from behind. "Don't worry about a thing. We'll fill that hungry hole of yours." A finger, then another, pressed inside, along the cock that was moving gently in and out. Lelouch's breath caught as he realized what they were going to do, what they were _both_ going to do to him, inside of him…

"Oh, yes. Yeah, please." Lelouch's voice was rough from the abuse his throat had taken, but his pleas were clear and obviously genuine. "I need it, need you both, _please_ …"

"Do it Bart, quick before he gets too excited."

The press of the second cock forcing its way into Lelouch's ass was more than Lelouch had expected and, even through the drug-induced haze, he knew that it hurt far too much. He just couldn't bring himself to care, especially when both pairs of arms tightened around him and he was surrounded by warmth and soft gasps and groans of pleasure, and the stench of sex.

As a set of teeth bit down at the side of his neck, the closest to anything like a kiss Lelouch had been given, Lelouch tossed his head back and keened at the mixture of pleasure and pain and slowly creeping humiliation and disgust as the aphrodisiac slowly began to wear off. It wasn't nearly done, though, as Bart slid into him, his cock squeezed tightly by Lelouch's ass against Alfred's, thick and hard and more than Lelouch should have been able to take.

"I don't think I can last long," Alfred said to Bart, as if Lelouch was just a sex toy they were using, which probably wasn't that far from the truth.

"You don't have to," Bart said. "I'm right behind you, brother."

"Bart…" Alfred released his hold on Lelouch to pull Bart in for a deep, lingering kiss over Lelouch's shoulder. Their hips started jerking, randomly at first, then finding a coordinated pace that worked for both of them as they worked their way to orgasm, kissing like they were starved for each other. Lelouch, able to tear his eyes away from the men fucking him for the first time since he'd seen them, noticed the other three, still clothed apart from their naked cocks, similarly engaged in blowjobs and handjobs and lazy, luxurious kisses. As sense started to return to Lelouch, so did the realization of what he'd done, of what had been done to him, of what was being done to him, and how very much it hurt. He whimpered softly, not wanting to aggravate his abused throat but unable to hold back completely as every movement of either cock inside of him rubbed against bruised and torn tissue.

He could smell blood.

Bart was the first to go, breaking away from Alfred's kiss with a gasp and a sigh as he came almost soundlessly. Alfred was soon after him and much louder, and his fingernails dug deep into Lelouch's skin, adding scratches to his collection of bruises. They practically threw Lelouch aside, pulling out of him harshly and quickly, and joined the other three for a rather more laid-back and loving orgy.

Lelouch lay back, feeling oddly modest as his slip fell around him to cover every sensitive bit of his body. But the lingering musk of sex with a chaser of blood, the pain he felt from his throat to his hips, the stickiness that covered practically his entire body… these things wouldn't let him forget what he was, and how immodest he had been.

A large hand landed on his head, and Lelouch looked up at the older man who'd first greeted him.

"My boys are good, strong boys. Brothers-in-arms in truth. And now the bonds they've forged together means they'll die for each other, like the Spartans of old. But they're all far too dominant to let loose without an… intermediary." He smiled down at Lelouch and Lelouch could just barely make out a scar marring his face – a fashion choice, no doubt, given Pendragon's almost magical medical arts. "Tell Schneizel I'm well pleased."

Lelouch passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dubcon (coercion) that reads more like noncon, sibling pimping, non-consensual aphrodesiac use, debasing language, physical violence, threesomes/moresomes, voyeurism, double penetration, lack of regard for a sexual partner as a human being, sex as a means to an unrelated end.


	5. Back Home

When Lelouch woke up, he was lying on a bed, alone in a strange bedroom, clean and dressed and only slightly sore.

It was something of an improvement, he'd admit, but until he could convince himself that he hadn't just been gangbanged by five Pendragon citizens there was nothing that could make him feel anything but rotten and violated and sick. He was so wrapped up in how miserable he felt that he completely missed the sound of the door opening and closing as someone entered the room.

"Lelouch. General Darlton sends his regards and his thanks."

Lelouch swallowed hard. He might be weak and miserable, to the point where he could actually feel tears pricking at the back of his eyes, but he'd be damned if he showed any of that to Schneizel. He forced himself to sit up, relieved when there were only occasional muscle twinges, easily ignorable, that accompanied that movement. Lelouch had been in far more pain after his first time with Luciano, and even with Suzaku, when they were a little rushed or rough, he felt more the next morning than he was feeling now. It helped center him and stopped his voice from trembling.

"I'm honoured," Lelouch retorted, his voice somehow completely back to normal, without even a hint of a rasp. "Shall we return to the party?"

"It's almost midnight," Schneizel said. "You have just enough time to make your rounds and a polite farewell before you must return to prepare for your departure tomorrow morning. It's a pity you can't stay longer."

Lelouch tried not to imagine what his 'brother' would have him do if he stayed. "A true pity, indeed."

The door burst open again, and Suzaku raced in, pushing past Schneizel as if he wasn't even there. "Lelouch! You… you're… are you okay?"

His eyes were wide and frantic, darting up and down Lelouch's body, taking in everything from Lelouch's head to his toes, which were bare. Lelouch looked around for his shoes, rather than meet Suzaku's earnest gaze as he lied.

"I'm fine, Suzaku. We don't need to be attached at the waist every moment of every day." Ah, there they were, by the door. "Frankly, a little space was just what we needed, I think." He stood up, intending to make his way to his shoes, hoping that he'd feel stronger, more in control, once he was fully dressed.

He never made it.

As if he couldn't hold back a moment longer, Suzaku grabbed Lelouch the instant he was upright, pulling him tight against his body and burying his face in the crook of Lelouch's neck. Lelouch would have said something biting, or at least made some objection with Schneizel standing there, watching, but this close he could feel Suzaku trembling slightly, hear the catch of his breath as if he was biting back sobs, and after everything Lelouch had been through, the temptation to indulge in a little neediness was powerful.

Not so powerful, however, that he allowed himself to break down completely. Instead, he wound his arms around Suzaku's shoulders, one hand lacing through Suzaku's brown curls, his lips pressed against Suzaku's forehead, whispering a soft soothing murmur of nonsense and gibberish against his skin.

"I love you." Suzaku's shaking, if anything, had gotten worse. "I love you so much, Lelouch. Don't… why do you always…" He finally raised his head, his eyes misty and a little red as they met Lelouch's. "Please, just let me protect you."

Lelouch stared at him for a long moment. Half an hour, maybe a full hour apart shouldn't have shaken Suzaku so much. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight," Schneizel's aide, Kanon, if Lelouch recalled correctly, said. The moment the words were out of his mouth, Lelouch remembered Schneizel telling him that. It was disturbing how hard it was to focus. "You should really be making an appearance fairly soon."

A tear slid down Suzaku's cheek and Lelouch sighed. Three whole hours. No wonder Suzaku was so upset. Still, as long as he didn't know what Lelouch had done, this could be salvaged. "I'm sorry, Suzaku. Time just… got away from me." He wiped the tear-streak with his thumb and smiled. Shedding tears for him… only Suzaku would do that. "Let's go. One last formal appearance and we're done."

Suzaku nodded and rubbed rather more roughly at his eyes, doing nothing to diminish their shine, but adding a healthy rosy glow to his cheeks. Lelouch leaned in impulsively and kissed him.

"Time enough for that later," Schneizel said, gently scolding. "Duty before pleasure."

Lelouch rolled his eyes at him and untangled himself from Suzaku, moving towards the door to toe on his shoes. "Prostituting myself for Pendragon's amusement is always a pleasure, Schneizel." It wasn't until the words were out of his mouth, that he realized how that sounded. He'd only meant to allude to the way he and Suzaku pasted fake smiles and wrapped each other in fake embraces for the audiences and cameras, but now it had a whole new meaning. One that sharpened Schneizel's smile and, oddly enough, made Suzaku's breath catch in a wholly unpleasant way.

The only thing Lelouch could do was pretend he hadn't said anything. He raised his chin and steadfastly refused to think about Darlton and his five 'sons', or the strange drug that had worn off before they did. A buried memory was as safe as no memory. He held out his hand for Suzaku to take and they walked out of the room together, their fingers laced and shoulders touching.

The party was just starting to wind down (or, rather, other parties were just starting to wind up) as Lelouch and Suzaku took their final proverbial stage on the central balcony of the Aries villa. A scattering of applause greeted their appearance, with some drunken catcalling that bothered Lelouch more than he was used to. He took a deep breath and smiled harder, making a mental note to find a way to redull the nerves that had been frayed by this evening's activities.

"People of Pendragon!" Suzaku called out, veering offscript already, and for the first time this entire trip. "Lelouch and I have been your guests for two marvellous days, and we have completely fallen in love with you and your city." Some more, moderately enthusiastic applause at that. Suzaku was far too blunt to properly warm up a crowd, but that was endearing in its own way. "That being said, it's here that I've come to realize what I truly love most of all."

He turned to Lelouch and, with a grace that spoke of hours of practice (as well as a natural physicality), knelt before Lelouch, fishing a ring out of his pocket and offering it up.

"Lelouch. Will you marry me?"

Lelouch stared at him in silence. This was… they should have talked this over, planned it and rehearsed it and where the heck had Suzaku gotten a ring from, and everyone was watching them and Lelouch had no idea what to do or say, he couldn't say no, but after what had happened, after the deal he'd made, could he really say yes?

Yes. He could. He had to. Suzaku had taken the choice out of his hands and Lelouch… didn't even want to refuse.

He reached out with a trembling hand and allowed Suzaku to steady it and slide the ring onto his ring finger.

"Suzaku, I… oh, of course!" Lelouch fell to his knees to the roar of the crowd, thunderous applause and whistles and shouts, all meaningless noise as he pulled Suzaku towards him and kissed him hard for a careful two seconds before he pulled away laughing. Suzaku was smiling too, holding Lelouch's hands in his, his lips forming words that Lelouch couldn't hear over the pounding of his own heart, but that he could somehow still understand.

_Nothing will ever make me give you up._

Lelouch laughed, flushing prettily, and held back the urge to scream and beat Suzaku senseless. _Nothing_? What did he know about it? There were no guarantees in life, and _damn him_ for pretending there were. Promises like those were almost doomed from the start to become lies, and the worst part was that Lelouch ached to believe them. All of the promises Suzaku was making, said and unsaid, in this simple, _stupid_ proposal, were promises that Lelouch wanted to believe so desperately that he'd given in and said yes. Momentary insanity and suddenly Lelouch, Pendragon's new whore, had stolen Suzaku's future from him.

And, try as he might, he couldn't even feel sorry for it.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

But he could feel angry.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Lelouch demanded, rounding on Suzaku the moment they were as safe as they could be, back in their room. Even if they were being watched, it wasn't as if it mattered. "How dare you spring that on me out of nowhere!"

Suzaku just looked at him, his face blank. "You can seriously say that after what you pulled at the games?"

That had been different. That had been about making them look interesting, unique, about drawing attention to him and, more importantly, to Suzaku so that they had a chance of survival. Neither of them had been favourites (although Suzaku, as it turned out, had comparable skills to any of the favoured tributes) and Lelouch had made sure that, even if they weren't the most likely to win, they were the underdogs that people would choose to root for.

Whereas Suzaku's actions had been impulsive and pointless. "The fact that you think those situations were the same tells me everything I need to know about how much thought you put into this." Lelouch pushed Suzaku away, only getting angrier when Suzaku, his expression just as blank as before, stepped aside of his own free will. "Your idiotic, _thoughtless_ ideas of what is appropriate and what is helpful are–"

Suzaku grabbed him by the shoulders, his fingers gripping into Lelouch's skin, shaking with the effort of holding back from shaking him. It was enough to stun Lelouch into silence but, as the time stretched between them, with Suzaku refusing to give in and do whatever physical thing he wanted to do, the shock wore off sooner rather than later, and Lelouch felt his face smooth into a new mask, one that hid confusion and desire and more confusion behind a cruel sneer.

"You have no idea, do you? It's not just that you're impulsive and thoughtless, you're mostly just completely clueless! What the hell made you think I'd _want_ a commitment like that from you? Before, we just had to stay together long enough to last out the audience's attention. Now we're going to have to lie to people we actually care about, make vows we _know_ we're going to break–"

"Why?" Suzaku demanded suddenly, as if letting Lelouch finish one of his speeches was more than he could allow. "Why would we have to lie or break these vows, Lelouch? Why can't this just be… _real_?"

Lelouch felt his mask crack, but kept it as together as he could. "Because it's not. Because it never was. And because, once we're back in Area 11, and you're back with Kallen and we only see each other for the necessary photo ops and to escort Tributes to their deaths, you'll see how not-real it was."

Suzaku let Lelouch go as abruptly as he grabbed him. "I guess you have a point. I can't make it real on my own."

"No. You can't," Lelouch said, turning away again, this time without any interference. He could tell that Suzaku was following him as he made his way to his room, but he couldn't turn to face him. Not with the myriad of feelings that were running through him, almost certainly visible on his face, at least partially. His best bet was to just get into his room and into bed with a door between him and Suzaku and seven hours to work his way through the consequences and opportunities of this new situation.

But the door never closed. Lelouch froze, with his back still facing his door and Suzaku and Suzaku's hand holding his door open and there was no way he was turning around now.

"I know we're… _you're_ a little upset right now. And I know you're upset with me." The door closed firmly behind them, leaving Suzaku in the room. "But there's no way I'm leaving you alone right now."

Lelouch felt something unwind inside him, Suzaku's simple and achievable promise, one that promised nothing more than a few hours of comfort and contact. That might not have been what Lelouch had thought he wanted, but the thought of his mind left to its own devices once he'd stopped plotting around Suzaku's proposal…

"Fine." Lelouch reached back and unzipped his dress, stepping out of it and his underwear as he moved towards the bedside table where they kept the lubricant. Behind him, Suzaku gasped, and it took Lelouch a moment to realize why.

He'd started the night in pantyhose. Somewhere, between the change into the furred slip or the drug-fuelled orgy or the hours spent fixing Lelouch up and dressing him while he'd been unconscious, they'd been forgotten. A small, understandable error, but one Lelouch had no idea how to explain away to Suzaku.

So he didn't bother. He reached into the top drawer of the bedside table and fished out the lube, careful to bare his bare bottom as invitingly as he could. He felt oddly exposed, but there were no hands on him and no drugs in his system, and it was just Suzaku, he could get through this.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready," Lelouch said, his voice sounding far smaller and more uncertain than he'd intended. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hurry up and you can join in." That was better. Much more playful and steady.

He was rewarded by the sound of Suzaku undoing the belt to his dress pants, followed by the dull thuds of his pants hitting the floor, followed by his jacket and shirt. Lelouch pulled back the covers, hesitating at the thought of lying face down, like he'd started when David had pressed into him, or on his back, as David had finished inside of him. Even the thought of riding Suzaku was a little sickening, as Lelouch recalled Bart, and then Alfred, taking him together…

Suzaku's hand fell gently on Lelouch's shoulder and he jumped. He forced his idiot heart to slow down as Suzaku ran his hands over Lelouch's arms and sides, soothing without making his caresses sexual. Lelouch wanted to lean into him so badly, but he wasn't the one who was comforted; he was the one who gave comfort. This was backwards and upside down, and Lelouch didn't like it.

But, as Suzaku manhandled him into bed, kissing the back of his neck and rubbing his arms and otherwise not making any move towards doing anything but holding Lelouch, it became clear that even if Lelouch had wanted to, Suzaku wasn't interested in sex at the moment.

Which made for the perfect excuse. It felt safe and warm in Suzaku's arms, even with his cock, not entirely soft, but not demanding either, pressing against Lelouch's backside. How often had they slept like this, after sex or to rest up enough to be able to have sex in the morning? Lelouch felt, after only a few months, that he knew Suzaku's body as well as his own, and that at some point it had become a sort of home for him, like Nunnally's smile and his mother's laugh.

They were both tired, that was all. That was why the thought of sex turned Lelouch's stomach. He'd feel better in the morning.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

He did not feel better in the morning. Or, at least, he didn't feel like having sex, despite Suzaku's erection lying heavy and hot against his thigh, something normally more than inspiring enough to Lelouch and his rather entertaining imagination.

He felt well-rested, though, and less shaken. They were leaving for Area 11, and the last feast and festival celebrating their victory. Lelouch could maintain a mask until then and after that…

Well, after that, Pendragon's eyes would be elsewhere and they could deal with the engagement in their own way. If they did their job, then the Quarter Quell scheduled for the next Hunger Games should be distraction enough. They might not even have to resort to a sham marriage, which would probably be for the best. After all, Lelouch and probably Suzaku would be the new mentors, and back in Pendragon for the weeks of the Hunger Games, and Lelouch would really rather not be married as he moved from bed to bed of Pendragon's wealthy and morally corrupt.

Suzaku kissed behind his ear. "Morning. You're thinking too hard again."

Lelouch smiled. Engaged or no, sex drive or no, Suzaku was… dear to him. The least he could do was continue to make him happy. He stretched and turned towards Suzaku, letting his hand move slowly and smoothly, teasingly, down his chest, over his stomach… "You know how to stop _that_ , don't you?" Reaching for his cock before Suzaku grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.

"Not now," Suzaku said softly, seriously. He pressed his lips to Lelouch's forehead. "Not until you're over… not until you really want it again, Lelouch."

Lelouch pulled his hand back, a little insulted. Over what? The engagement? He rolled his eyes. "You overestimate yourself, Suzaku. I was over your thoughtlessness the moment we slipped into bed. It would be silly and petty to hold a grudge over that."

Suzaku smiled. "And that's not like you at all." Lelouch scowled, no longer merely _a little_ insulted. Suzaku kissed him. "But thanks for forgiving me. And when you want to talk about anything that's bugging you, or if you really want more than just cuddles, I'll be there. But until then I'm not going to just use you like… like Luciano."

He hadn't been about to say Luciano, Lelouch was sure of that. There was no way Schneizel would have told Suzaku about last night, or let him see anything. It ran completely contrary to his promises to Lelouch. Suzaku, in return for Lelouch's cooperation, was to be kept out of it. And Suzaku, as good as he was at lying to himself, could never have kept something like that a secret. It was inconceivable. Lelouch wondered if he'd become paranoid, overthinking things, ascribing motivations and abilities that were his to Suzaku. There was no way Suzaku knew what had happened. Lelouch refused to even seriously consider it.

So he smiled and kissed Suzaku back. "You're nothing like Luciano. I can promise you that much. And if you just don't want me, all you have to do is say so."

"That's not…" Suzaku sighed. "Yeah, I… I don't want you, Lelouch. Not like this."

Lelouch felt something in his chest lurch. "Fine. That's fine." He slid out from under the covers. "I'm taking a shower before we have to leave. Joining me?"

Suzaku's eyes were hot on him, his gaze belying his words of only seconds before, until he blinked hard and snapped out of it, focusing very hard on Lelouch's face. "Yeah, no, I… My clothes are in the other room and I… uh… yeah. Meet you at breakfast?"

"See you then."

Breakfast was short and thankfully heavily chaperoned. C.C. smoothed over Lelouch's hair one last time before shaking her head and suggesting that he grow it out some more – it couldn't get less manageable than it was at this length. Cecile, who was coming with them to Area 11's festival, hovered over them all, fussing with their outfits (to the dismay of their stylists) and forcing more food on them. Lloyd was the only one in a relatively (for him) normal mood, so he got the brunt of it.

Their departure was quick and easy, and Lelouch managed to avoid Suzaku for most of the trip, reading in his room or talking with Lloyd about things that bored Suzaku. At night, however, Suzaku refused to leave him alone, and refused just as adamantly to do anything more than cuddle. Lelouch, who was far from eager to risk sleeping away from the comforting warmth of Suzaku's arms, and just as reluctant to force himself to have sex when even platonic gestures could make him jumpy with the memory of what had happened, accepted Suzaku's limits, although he worried over the meaning behind them.

If Suzaku was getting tired of him, perhaps it would be better to let him pull away. Engagements were easier to break than marriages, after all.

But they still needed to put forward the act of a happy couple. When they pulled into the station in Area 11, they kept a close hold on one another as they were swept up into a loud and boisterous parade. They marched through the town, cleaned and decorated for the first time in Lelouch's memory, in honour of their return. The parade ended at one of the larger halls, set up days earlier to host the entire Area to a feast and festival put on at Pendragon's expense.

At the festival, Lelouch managed to get a moment alone with Milly. Suzaku was surrounded by Kallen and her small gang of hunters, Nunnally and Marianne were semi-hosting alongside the Mayor, and no one was paying much attention to Lelouch for a moment.

Milly smiled as he walked up to her. "If you need to borrow this dress, I planned ahead and brought a change of clothes."

Lelouch laughed at the reference to the last Reaping, but it turned bitter in his mouth. He'd seen Milly a few times since then but, since moving to the Victor's Village and being with Suzaku, he hadn't spent nearly as much time with her as he used to. Which was silly since, despite his own misgivings, he had no problem allowing Suzaku to spend time with his… friends.

He refused to feel guilty about it. Such feelings were unhelpful. "I was actually hoping we could… get out of here."

Milly's bright smile turned into a carefully artful pout. "But this is all for _you_ , Lelouch."

"I know." Lelouch winked. "That's why I want to leave, while everyone's attention is diverted."

Milly looked around. The cameras and crew from Pendragon had left about an hour earlier, most of the guests that were still here were huddled around the food or around Suzaku. She shot Lelouch a gentle, non-judgemental, knowing look. "If you wanted, I could distract Kallen…"

The guilt that Lelouch refused to feel sparked harder. As little as Lelouch had paid Milly any attention, she had somehow figured out the thing between him and Suzaku and Kallen. "It's fine, leave them be. I really did just want some time alone with you."

The smile that spread over Milly's face was bright and genuine and Lelouch realized how much he'd missed a simple _real_ expression. He grabbed Milly's hands, an impulsive gesture he couldn't have imagined making before this past disastrous year. If nearly dying and being forced to lie and scheme his way out of the most dangerous and awkward situations had taught him anything, it was the value of the few true connections he'd had.

"Father is watching over everything," Milly said, clutching Lelouch right back. "If we sneak in through the back, no one will catch us. There's just one thing…"

Lelouch leaned closer, grinning conspiratorially. "And what's that?"

"Well, the way you look in that dress, all nicely made up… you, my dear Lelouch, are giving me _all_ the beauty tips you've gotten on your travels."

Even that couldn't wipe the grin off Lelouch's face as he let Milly drag him off.

It had been months since he'd been inside the mayor's residence. It hadn't changed much – fashion aside, even the mayor couldn't afford to change décor more than once a decade or so, unlike Pendragon where furniture was doubtless changed as often as clothes. Still, likely due mainly to Milly's influence, it managed to be both formal and inviting at the same time, a clever bit of subtle manipulation that always impressed Lelouch. One felt neither rejected nor completely comfortable in this house, with the warm fire and cozy chairs a constant reminder of the power and wealth the mayor had.

Of course, as a Victor, Lelouch now had those things as well. But there was a difference between his _nouveau-riche_ status and Milly's longstanding familial power and influence. Not that that had ever stopped Lelouch before.

Milly was hurrying Lelouch upstairs, gushing over his new hairdo, when a shaky voice called her name from the master bedroom. Her mother, no doubt, having one of her horrible headaches. Lelouch had noticed her absence at the celebration, but that was as typical as her attendance.

"She's getting them more frequently lately," Milly said apologetically. "It'll only take a minute…"

Lelouch nodded, biting back a harsh comment on how easily that could have been treated in Pendragon. Even the mayor, for all his power, couldn't get anything from Pendragon that they felt was better kept from the Areas. It wasn't a comment worth making, and the reminder would have hurt more than helped. As Milly hurried off, Lelouch leaned against the wall, and tried not to feel completely out of place without his escort.

" _This is an emergency broadcast of the Britannian alert system_ ," a calm, commanding male voice stated from behind the wall Lelouch was leaning against. Lelouch gave a quick look around and, when the coast was obviously clear, ducked his head in to see what that was about.

It turned out to be the television in the mayor's study, showing a channel that Lelouch was certain no other television in the Area received. The images on the screen were almost unimaginable, and Lelouch found himself moving closer in fascination.

Area 8 was where all the cloth and clothes were made, from the dull grey uniforms of the _Sakuradite_ miners to the bright peacock plumage of the average citizen of Pendragon. Lelouch had just been there, and he'd been amazed at the huge swathes of cotton being grown just beyond the massive factories that turned the cotton into cloth and the cloths into clothes. It seemed almost like a perfect system, brilliantly engineered.

And, it turned out, spectacularly susceptible to fire.

" _The Peacekeepers in Area 8 have the situation well in control_ ," the male voice assured Lelouch, " _and production will recommence in a matter of weeks. Until then, rationing is recommended on all textiles and textile-related products_."

There was a ticker that ran below the actual feed, giving curt details about other Areas in brief words that rolled across the bottom of the screen. _Area 4 has resumed harvest, at 70% capacity. Area 7 still under curfew at this time. Shipments of lumber and paper products will be delayed, but should be at full quota._

Lelouch stared at the chaos on screen, the compelling visuals of people burning down their own homes in protest against the unfairness of the Britannian Empire, and read about similar idiotic, brave, self-sacrificial actions being taken in other Areas and realized that he was smiling.

Well grinning, really. Rather like a maniac.

_This_ was what his father had feared. And with good reason – when you had so little that it was never enough, it was easy to risk what you had for the mere _promise_ of something better. And that promise had been delivered to them by Lelouch – the first person in living history to go against the Britannian rule so blatantly, so publicly, and to get away with it. He stood in place of his sister, against the unspoken, but common sense, rules of the Reaping. He'd lied and manipulated himself into a winning position in the Games, and then blatantly refused to let them take Suzaku from him. He'd had the lives of a Number who'd threatened his life in his hands, and he'd chosen mercy.

He'd smiled and preened and played the part of Pendragon's new pet Victor to perfection, but nothing could change the fact that, even in playing that role, everything about him was revolutionary.

People were dying, and killing, and _fighting_ because of him. Possibly even in his name.

This was _Lelouch's_ revolution, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss out on it, even if he had to rally Area 11 himself!

"Lelouch?" Milly asked carefully. "We're really not supposed to be in here…"

Lelouch whirled around and cupped her face in his hands, making her laugh in surprise. "Milly, how loyal are you to Pendragon?"

"I… of course, I'm completely loyal. They've brought us peace. What are you…" She tried to lean around Lelouch, to see what was on the television. Lelouch refused to let her go.

"Reconsider that, please. There's nothing wrong with showing your loyalty when it's demanded, but consider that perhaps it might be better to be a bit more… flexible. In certain circumstances."

Milly frowned. "Lelouch, what do you mean? You're talking nonsense."

Lelouch laughed, feeling all the cares in the world melt off his shoulders. "You have no idea, Milly." He kissed her cheek and rushed past her, suddenly full of energy and needing an outlet. "And it's only nonsense until reality changes to make it make sense!"

Milly watched him go, raising her hand bemusedly to her cheek. "Well, yes. That's what nonsense is." She visibly shook herself. "You still owe me a makeover date!"

"I'll make it up to you!" Lelouch promised, breaking into a run.

He _needed_ Suzaku.


	6. Unrest

Suzaku, fortunately, was right where Lelouch expected him to be. In his house, in his room, preparing for bed.

Perfect.

Suzaku looked up, surprised when Lelouch burst into his room. "Lelouch!"

"Suzaku," Lelouch replied, his heart racing with excitement and from the exertion of running. For the first time in a _very_ long time, Lelouch felt at a complete loss for words, unable to articulate what he was feeling or what he wanted or the reasons behind it. Words were his typical refuge and tools, but that hardly meant that they were the only option.

Lelouch closed the door and stepped further into the room, tracing Suzaku's half-naked body with his eyes. He'd been in the middle of unbuttoning his pants, his shirt already off, his hair slightly mussed, looking off guard and utterly edible. Lelouch allowed a smirk to cross his face as he raised his eyes to meet Suzaku's wider ones, and took the three steps required to get close enough to Suzaku to reach out and touch his chest, letting his fingers slide over the defined pecs, down to his abs.

"…Lelouch?" Suzaku sounded uncertain, but his breath caught reassuringly when Lelouch's hand dipped down the front of his pants. "What are you doing?"

"You." Lelouch stepped closer and pressed his lips against Suzaku's, keeping his kisses light and teasing as he felt Suzaku harden under his hand. "Any problems with that?"

Suzaku shuddered slightly under Lelouch's touch. "I… no, but…" He swallowed and Lelouch ducked his head to catch his adam's apple as it rose. "Lelouch, are you sure…"

He smelled so good. Slightly smoky from the fire at the feast, with just a faint hint of sweat and a rising musk of arousal. Lelouch yanked Suzaku's pants down and pushed him back on the bed, so that he was sprawled diagonally with his head just barely on the edge of the pillow and his legs dangling over the edge. He still looked so surprised, almost shocked, but there was heat there as well and that was enough to fire Lelouch up as well.

"I'm more than sure," Lelouch said, pulling down his underwear and settling over Suzaku's body, covering Suzaku's legs and stomach with his dress skirt, pressing their erections together with a smooth, practiced rocking motion from his hips. "I want you so badly right now that it actually hurts."

Suzaku groaned at that and half sat up, reaching up for Lelouch. Just the slight change in angle, the way Suzaku's hand found Lelouch's hip and tightened, sent Lelouch back for a short, sharp moment, back to Alfred positioning him, Bart sliding up behind him to…

Stop!" Lelouch barked out, his voice deep with a command he'd never known he possessed. Suzaku froze. Lelouch leaned back, sliding out of Suzaku's grip as he rummaged through the bedside table for the lube. "Lay back, Suzaku. Don't touch me until I say you can."

Suzaku moved as inhumanly fast as he had during the games, or on the rare occasions that he showed off his hunting prowess for Lelouch. His eyes remained fixed on Lelouch as he scooted back, even going so far as to raise his hands over his head in an unspoken promise that he would keep his hands off.

Lelouch smiled down at him. "Good." He popped the lid off the lube and brandished it in front of Suzaku's face. "How would you like to be rewarded?"

"Ah… that is…" Suzaku stammered as his eyes flickered between Lelouch and the lube and the waist of Lelouch's skirt which covered their bare skin, pressed together. Lelouch laughed, low and amused.

"Don't worry, Suzaku. I think by now I can think up a few rewards that you'd most likely appreciate."

Suzaku licked his lips and nodded, shifting restlessly under Lelouch but obediently keeping his hands up and away from him. Pleased by Suzaku's restraint, Lelouch let himself move, slow and lazy against him, as he coated his fingers and reached around to press one finger, then two, inside himself. It was always faster and easier to do it himself, although there was something to be said for the way Suzaku teased him when he was in charge of the preparation, and this way Lelouch knew exactly who was touching him and wouldn't panic.

Hopefully.

Oddly enough, the thought spurred Lelouch on rather than making him more reluctant. He wanted this, he _really_ wanted this, and they hadn't touched more than platonically for _days_. Suzaku was, for now at least, his and it felt right to claim him like this again. Even if Lelouch had never quite had him like this before. It seemed somehow appropriate.

And Suzaku, if the way his breathing had gone shallow and his fists had clenched and his eyes had widened and fixated on Lelouch's face were any indication, liked it just as much.

Lelouch smirked as he slid his fingers out and lifted his hips. "Enjoying this, Suzaku?"

Suzaku laughed, his arm twitching reflexively to reach out to Lelouch before he managed to get it under control. "Can't you tell?"

"Mmm, yes," Lelouch said, sinking slowly down onto Suzaku's cock, biting back a groan as Suzaku let one escape. "But I can't tell if it's the sex or if it's…"

"I like you like this," Suzaku blurted out in a rush. "Wanting me, demanding, in control… I've wanted you like this for so long. I was worried that you didn't… that it was only me."

Lelouch shivered as he realized what Suzaku meant, that he'd really thought that Lelouch was with him only for appearance's sake. Which, in a way, wasn't far from the truth. But the fact was, all things being equal, if he'd had his choice, Lelouch would have chosen Suzaku a hundred times over. But all things weren't equal, and they would have to give up so much to stay together – Lelouch's independence and Suzaku's future. This would have to end.

But that didn't mean that they couldn't have fun now at least. And, considering the revolution that was beginning, now might be all they had.

"You're the only one I want," Lelouch said, truthfully. "I love you." That was… also truthful, covering up the lie of omission that just because Lelouch loved that meant that he would be faithful or steady or that he wouldn't let Suzaku go if it was for the best.

Suzaku, not hearing anything that wasn't outright spoken, just smiled. " _Please_ can I touch you?"

"Not yet." Lelouch rolled his hips and they both moaned. Suzaku's arms twitched again, but he grabbed onto the pillow behind his head and held on tightly. Lelouch let his head fall back and his body move to its own slow rhythm as he rode Suzaku's cock, amazed at how different it felt like this. He'd ridden Suzaku before, with Suzaku's hands on his hips guiding him, urging him on faster, harder, Suzaku's hips fucking up into him, but that was nothing like this slow, deep rocking that stretched and teased as much as it struck home and satisfied.

Lelouch looked down at Suzaku through heavy eyelids as he moved, loving the way Suzaku's mouth hung open, desperate for air, his eyes half-shut, closing fully with every thrust only to open to watch Lelouch with a desperate hunger. His finger joints were turning white he was gripping the pillow so hard, and every line of his body screamed of the tension in which he held himself to follow Lelouch's order. He would do it too, Lelouch knew, he would hold himself back as long as Lelouch wanted him to, as long as Lelouch needed, and suddenly what Lelouch needed was the exact opposite.

"Touch me."

Suzaku didn't hesitate, his hands flying up to grip Lelouch's hips, holding him tightly as Suzaku bucked up into him. It was fast and harsh and, after the long, drawn out teasing that Lelouch had indulged in, it was perfection. Lelouch fell forward, barely managing to catch himself with one hand on either side of Suzaku's head, panting hard as he spread wider, pushing back against each of Suzaku's thrusts. "Oh yes, Suzaku, _yes_ …"

" _Lelouch_ …" One of Suzaku's hands slipped from Lelouch's hip to wrap around his cock, clumsy and rough in his ardour, and Lelouch choked on Suzaku's name as he came over Suzaku's stomach and chest, tightening around Suzaku as Suzaku flipped them over and fucked Lelouch hard and fast into the mattress, his hand still milking Lelouch's orgasm out of him as he thrust deep and came so hard inside Lelouch that Lelouch imagined he could feel it becoming a part of him, something that Lelouch could keep rather than something that would wash away, leaving nothing behind.

Impermanence, Lelouch thought as Suzaku collapsed beside him, sweaty and sated and safe, was rather the hallmark of their whole relationship. It was a pity that Suzaku couldn't embrace that.

"That was amazing. I missed this," Suzaku said as soon as he'd caught his breath, wrapping his arms around Lelouch and throwing a light sheet over them before their sweat cooled them off uncomfortably.

Lelouch snorted. "You were the one who kept refusing to have sex."

"Not the sex," Suzaku corrected, "although you were _incredible_ , by the way. I meant this."

He was holding Lelouch the same way he'd held him every night since… since the ball. Lelouch frowned, not seeing the difference, apart from the fact that they were sticky and damp from various bodily fluids.

Suzaku, as if answering Lelouch's unasked question, tightened his hold. "You feel like you want to be here. Like you're happy beside me. Like… like you want me to touch you. You didn't before."

Lelouch stiffened. That was hardly his fault! True, Suzaku mustn't have had any idea why Lelouch had been like that, but it was a harsh accusation considering everything else that had happened. Suzaku smoothed over Lelouch's hair and pressed a kiss against his shoulder. "I'm not blaming you. And if you want to talk about… about it, then I'm always here, love. But I just… I missed this."

It took a great deal of willpower, but Lelouch managed to relax again in Suzaku's hold. "Maybe I did too." Suzaku leaned in and kissed him, and Lelouch fell into the lazy pattern of their usual post-coital unrushed tenderness. "Mmm… another round?"

Suzaku chuckled. "Maybe in the morning. For now, just let me hold you?" It was clearly a question, and Lelouch bit his lip, trying not to laugh at the feeling that something had actually changed between them, some dynamic that before had been unassailable.

"You really _did_ like it when I took control didn't you?" Suzaku's eyes widened just a little, but it was enough for Lelouch to tell that he'd been entirely correct. Lelouch smirked and finally truly relaxed, snuggling into Suzaku's arms. "Noted, my dear Suzaku."

"You're going to use this against me, aren't you?" Suzaku asked rhetorically, resigned. Lelouch huffed a small laugh.

"Oh, undoubtedly."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

But not right away. That morning, Suzaku woke up first and coaxed Lelouch awake with kisses and touches until Lelouch's legs were wrapped around his hips and Suzaku was pounding him into the mattress. It was a nice enough way to wake up, and Lelouch's mind never once veered off into memories of his experiences in Pendragon. He was probably cured of those, which was for the best if he had to play the role of Pendragon's newest whore once they returned with the Tributes in a few months.

Speaking of… "Do you have any plans for today, Suzaku?"

"Not really," Suzaku said, wiping himself off with the bedsheet and pulling on a pair of pants before leaning down to press a soft kiss to Lelouch's lips. "I'm just a bit peckish. If you like, I can bring breakfast up here." He looked nakedly eager, less like an ardent lover and more like a puppy hoping he'd done the right thing and looking for praise. Lelouch wanted to reach up and scratch behind his ears.

But a lazy morning was not the kind of distraction Lelouch needed right now. "No, I'll come down with you." He stretched languidly, working out some of the muscle kinks and revelling in the deep ache that still suffused his body. "Just give me a moment."

Suzaku laughed and kissed him again. "I'll get the coffee started."

Lelouch lay back for a moment, still basking, and then rolled over and grabbed the phone. There weren't many households in Area 11 with a phone and Lelouch had connections to most of them – Lloyd, the Ashfords, Suzaku, his own home. Lelouch wasn't calling any of them.

"Do you have any idea what _time_ it is?"

"Good morning to you too, C.C."

"It's _four in the morning_."

Ah, right. Time zones. "Half past, actually."

"I'm hanging up."

"No, wait!" As much fun as taunting C.C. was, Lelouch needed more information before he made his decisions, and C.C. was the only person in Pendragon he could trust to be honest and also aware. "I just had a few questions."

"You're calling me at 4a.m. to…" C.C. sighed. "Well, I'm up now anyway. What did you want, boy?"

"How have things been?"

"…fine…" C.C. said, clearly confused. "Nothing much has changed in the three days since I last saw you."

"No, even before that, I meant," Lelouch said, hoping she'd get the hint. She always seemed to somehow know so much more than she was telling. "How have you been? In general."

There was a long pause, then C.C. sighed. "Well, _I've_ been fine, but to hear Doreen, that's my next-door neighbour, complaining you'd think that she _lived_ off lobster and cod."

Seafood. Area 4. Lelouch felt his heart start to race – they were feeling the effects in Pendragon! This was even better than he'd dared to hope for. "That sounds dreadful."

"Well, the sudden dearth of dyed ribbons is far worse, as far as I'm concerned," C.C. replied. Area 8. "And the price of oil is making everything more expensive overall!"

Area 5, possibly Area 6 if transportation services in general were affected. "I've always said everything should run on _sakuradite_ ," Lelouch said carefully. "From what I've seen, that's probably the most stable and constant energy source in Britannia." _Area 11 is not revolting_.

"Interesting. Although I suppose you'd have a vested interest there." _Is that your doing?_

Lelouch forced a laugh. "C.C., I assure you, if anything my vested interests lie in a completely opposite direction." _No, in fact I'm planning to start one myself._

"Careful there, boy. The wrong people hear that and you're liable to be in trouble."

Lelouch smiled. He didn't think that message was at all coded. "I'll take that into consideration. It was lovely chatting with you."

"A genuine delight," C.C. said dryly. "I'll see you in a few months, when you bring me the next Tributes."

"Of course," _Perhaps_. "I look forward to it."

Lelouch hopped out of bed, invigorated by what C.C. had said. She hadn't mentioned paper, so they were managing to keep Area 7's issues hidden, but it sounded like a third, and possibly more, of the Areas were involved in some kind of resistance, if not outright revolt like in Area 8.

And Area 11 was just placidly plodding along, enjoying its double rations and sudden celebrity.

Let's see how long that would last.

Lelouch dressed quickly and fully, pulling his hooded coat on over his head as he raced downstairs. He was almost out the door when Suzaku, still shirtless and holding two mugs of coffee called out his name.

Ah, right. Lelouch had almost forgotten about… that.

He flashed a bright smile and Suzaku, not even needing to feign happiness. "I'll be right back. I just have to get something." Well, that wasn't entirely true. "Someone. Well, some _ones_."

"What do you…"

"Half an hour, no more! I promise," Lelouch said, ducking out the front door and down the street. He knocked on Lloyd's door before opening it and just yelling that they were meeting at Suzaku's in half an hour. Lloyd would be there – late and possibly sleep deprived if he'd been tinkering with his hobbies, but there. From there, it took Lelouch twenty minutes and five helpful passers-by to find Kallen, bartering with the baker's son over two loaves of bread for a neatly killed and dressed squirrel. Lelouch threw down enough money for four loaves and grabbed Kallen, the bread, and the squirrel, and dragged them out.

"What are you–" Kallen squawked, indignant.

Lelouch tugged her arm harder, secretly amazed that she hadn't beaten the crap out of him already. Maybe she was warming up to him. "Suzaku and I need you."

Kallen stopped dead in her tracks, and Lelouch nearly got whiplash at the sudden halt and the ease with which she held him back. "This isn't about…"

"A threesome?" Lelouch asked as innocently as he could, grinning at her blush. "No. It's far more important. Also, there's coffee."

"…coffee?" Kallen repeated, confused. Lelouch took the opportunity to get her moving again, through the marketplace and down the lonely, isolated lane that housed the nearly deserted Victor's Village.

Their timing was good – Lloyd was just leaving his house, still rumpled from sleep with his shirt inside-out, and Suzaku was standing on his porch, fully dressed this time, watching them come with a frown on his face.

Lelouch just smiled. "Kallen brought a snack. I'll just go whip up something for us all to eat, shall I?"

"Yes, good, good," Lloyd said, distractedly turning to Suzaku. "So what's all this about, then?"

"I have no idea," Suzaku said, sounding completely exasperated. "But, please, come in."

Lelouch hummed to himself as he started brewing more coffee, making up a tray as everyone found a seat around the kitchen table. That was trust, although it likely wasn't trust in him so much as it was lack of mistrust in the situation. Still, Kallen hadn't hit him and Lloyd was on time. Those had to be good omens.

"Alright, Lelouch, you've left us in enough suspense," Kallen snapped at him the moment he entered the room. "What did you bring us here for?"

Lelouch placed the coffee carafe on the table along with three mugs (Suzaku already had one) and a plate of dainties. "It's fairly simple," he said, passing out the mugs and taking the last one for himself, letting it warm his hands. "Britannia is experiencing something of a… rebellion."

Kallen snorted up her coffee. Lloyd patted her genteelly on the back as if Lelouch's revelation was no surprise to him. Or, more likely, not of any interest. Suzaku just stared. "…what?"

Lelouch shrugged. "It seems that our small gestures of defiance have sparked off a multi-facetted revolution. Several Areas have been caught up in it, and it got me thinking about Area 11."

"How do you _know_ all this?" Kallen demanded as soon as she stopped choking. She turned to Suzaku. "Did you see anything on your tour?"

"Nothing," Lelouch assured her. "It was after I returned." He didn't want to implicate Milly in anything. Her loyalties were doubtlessly tied to Pendragon and the small rank and comforts that Pendragon's authority gave her and her family, but she was still a friend and he wanted her safe. "The point is not how I know, but what to do with that knowledge."

Lloyd shrugged, licking his fingers of some honey from one of the dainties. "There's not much you _can_ do. The tour's over, and it's not like you can just hop on over to one of the neighbouring Areas for a visit."

"True," Lelouch conceded. "And neither Area 10 nor Area 12 are rebelling at the moment. No, my concern is rather more proximal." He turned to Kallen. "I know you have connections with people who are… less than pleased with Britannia's rule. How many are they, and how willing are they to risk their lives and the lives of those they love to fight against their oppressors?"

"Don't answer that," Suzaku snapped. "Lelouch, this is a bad idea."

Lelouch frowned at Suzaku, noticing for the first time, how unhappy he seemed with all of this. "How so?"

"Yeah," Kallen challenged, her eyes bright and excited as she caught up to Lelouch's plans. "This is _great_! Pendragon keeps us hungry and working for scraps, and we can't do anything against them. But if we all move, every single Area, at once, then there's no chance of them being strong enough to fight a war on twelve fronts!"

"You're talking about bringing back the Dark Days!" Suzaku shouted. "You remember, the reason why we have the Hunger Games in the _first place_. We've already paid for that once, and I don't even want to think of the price if we lose again."

Lelouch snorted. "Well, for one thing we could start off with the premise of _not losing_ this time."

"It's not that simple," Suzaku said, almost pleading. "Look, I can't speak for the other Areas, they have their own reasons and their own risks that they're willing to take. But I can't seriously think that you'd be willing to risk your sister's life for a chance at a war we probably won't win." Suzaku actually stood and moved to Lelouch's side, kneeling like a petitioner. "Please, Lelouch. In a few months we'll travel to Pendragon along with people from every Area. We can talk to them, get a feel for the situation, and maybe we can do something."

"Like what?" Lelouch asked, keeping his tone guarded.

"Your bro– I mean, there are people we met in Pendragon who have power. We could try to work with them to change things. Make them better."

"They have nothing invested in making things 'better'," Lelouch said. "If anything, they would rather see more output without needing to part with as much food or clothing. A decent culling of the Numbered population is probably…" He trailed off, the realization hitting him with all the force of a slap to the face. This revolution was _just_ what Pendragon wanted. It was what his father had spent decades of spreading his seed and nurturing resentment to achieve. Lelouch might have been the catalyst, but it had been Pendragon's decisions that had allowed his defiances – taking Nunnally's place, sparing his and Suzaku's lives, giving him the chance to spare Cornelia's in an inflammatory gesture of forgiveness and restraint that would have emphasised the unfairness of Pendragon's totalitarian rules. This rebellion wasn't just desired, it had been _planned_ and arranged, and everything was moving according to his father's will. Fewer workers, too scared to put forth any resistance to the increasing demands, raising their children to another generation of terrified slaves…

"…Lelouch?" Kallen asked. "You okay?"

Lelouch was laughing, hysterically, until tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Suzaku was looking up at him, worried, his hands gentle on Lelouch's knees as he tried to coax him to calmness, but Lelouch couldn't stop.

"This was all part of… he'd planned everything…" Lelouch couldn't catch his breath. "Oh, Suzaku, if you were more self-aware, you would feel this way, I'm sure." Used, toyed with, manipulated. Lelouch managed to calm his giggles, taking deep breaths before someone called for a physician or, even worse, his mother. "Alright. So. Slight change of plans." He was going to kill his father. Personally. His blood would run over Lelouch's bare hands… "Kallen, how many people can you get out of Area 11?"

Kallen frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When you and Suzaku and your little gang go off on your… jaunts. I assume you have hidey-holes or hidden caches or whatever. How many people can you hide there?"

Kallen's eyes flickered over towards Suzaku before returning to Lelouch. "I… for a week or so… maybe a hundred?"

"Kallen, don't encourage him!"

Lelouch laughed, but this time it was dry and under control. "No, indeed. We should just go to Pendragon and what, Suzaku? Try to change the system from within?" Suzaku recoiled as if stuck. "If you don't have something constructive to add, please keep quiet." Lelouch turned back to Kallen. "How about if some of those people were…"

"Crippled?" Kallen asked wryly. "Don't worry, Lelouch. No matter how I feel about you, the moment I see anything going down, Nunnally's near the top of my list of people to protect."

"Thank you." Lelouch was genuinely touched. And that took a great burden from his shoulders. "But you can't wait until you see something 'going down'. There isn't going to be enough of a warning, and the Peacekeepers are already here, ready to move at a moment's notice. I need you to move before they do."

"Lelouch…"

" _Hush_ , Suzaku." Lelouch's arm twitched, almost moving to push Suzaku away, but physicality had never been his thing. "You won't be here, so this doesn't concern you." He turned to Lloyd. "Is there a way to communicate back to Area 11 as a mentor? Through the phone lines, perhaps?"

Lloyd shrugged and nodded. "Sure. There was no one to call, so I never bothered, but as long as Kallen has access to your phone, or Suzaku's, you can talk to her. The trick is that Pendragon can send out a message just as quickly and they're sitting around prepared."

"You're encouraging this too?" Suzaku demanded standing up. "I can't believe… he's talking about _revolution_! He's talking about a… an _exodus_ and overthrowing a power so great that we can't even conceive of it, and you're both okay with this?"

There was a long moment of silence. Then Kallen nodded. "Yeah. It's time, Suzaku."

Lloyd grinned. "It's a basic principle of inertia – the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Lelouch stood and faced Suzaku. "I understand that you have misgivings, Suzaku–"

"Yeah. They're named _Nunnally_."

"–but this is necessary. The time to act is now, and if you're not willing to be a part of this, well… you know where the door is."

Suzaku stared at him, completely flabbergasted. "This is _my_ house!" Lelouch just shrugged. "You know what? Fine." Suzaku grabbed his coat and brace of throwing knives and stormed out.

Lelouch paused for a moment after the door closed, then turned to Kallen. "You should go after him."

"Why me?" Kallen asked. "He's _your_ fiancé."

"For now," Lelouch agreed peaceably. "But such engagements don't last forever. I expect that healing a broken heart would be easier with the proper set-up."

Kallen snorted, but headed for the door. "You say such things so snidely, but I think you underestimate how much he loves you, and how devastated you could make him."

Lelouch frowned. That hadn't been his intent when he'd re-entered Suzaku's bed. "Then all the more reason why you should be prepared to offer him… comfort."

"It's not that simple," Kallen tossed over her shoulder as she closed the door firmly behind herself.

Lelouch's frown deepened. He knew that. He did. And yet, the idea that Suzaku wouldn't be able to replace him was… ridiculous.

If there was one thing Lelouch was, it was replaceable. He'd seen to that.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

It took three weeks for Suzaku to cool off – he was slow to anger, but Lelouch wasn't one to ask for forgiveness, and fights were just as hard to stop one-sided as they were to start. In the end, it was simple proximity and desire that resolved their issues, or at least pushed them aside long enough for them to tumble back to bed together, spending a full two days making up for lost time.

In those three weeks, Lelouch had finalized a series of plans that involved prearranged signals from him to Kallen, quietly gaining support from some of the other disgruntled Elevens, and stocking up the small hut that Kallen's brother and their uncle before him had maintained by a lake deep in the woods. Lelouch, apart from a breathless view of the ocean in Area 4, hadn't ever been around enough water to know what a lake was. The closest thing they had within the fenced-in limits was a small, shallow pond that dried out at least three times a year. From what Kallen described, it was a paradise – enough warm water to cushion you like in a mother's womb, enough fish that they practically jumped into your net, tubers and reeds by the thousands to stretch a simple meal to a near feast… The rushing torrents in the Arena were nothing like the placid, peaceful utopia she described.

Lelouch trusted that Nunnally and his mother would find it equally comforting.

When Suzaku returned, he still didn't want to hear anything about the possible revolution and left the room when Kallen and Lloyd came in to discuss it with Lelouch. But he no longer spoke out against it, keeping his concerns to himself apart from gentle caresses that spoke more of his worry than of affection when he thought Lelouch asleep. Lelouch, in turn, did what he could to keep Suzaku happy in every other way, from sex to food to encouraging him to go out hunting. Now that Kallen and her gang's time was split between hunting and preparing, Suzaku's efforts were more welcome than ever, fresh game being worthwhile even with the extra bounty of rations from Pendragon.

And then the rations started thinning out – missing certain things like cooking oil or vegetables, or with spoiled grain and clearly damaged cloth. At first, the general reaction was confusion, then anger, then, after the Peacekeepers starting punishing the loudest complainers, sullen resentment. Within a month, the tally of those willing to leave Area 11 to prepare for war against Pendragon had swelled from barely a dozen to nearly a hundred. Suzaku, meanwhile, was working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Peacekeepers to keep everyone else calm and patient.

Lelouch still hadn't told Nunnally or his mother of his plans. They were always counted within the number of people who would leave the Area, their mere presence being a huge risk as bait or leverage against Lelouch, but Lelouch refused to count either of them as possible combatants. Milly too, due to her position and her likely loyalties, wasn't informed of the sedition in her own Area, but he and Kallen had worked it out so that she would be escorted, along with any members of the Mayor's household who could be safely extracted, to the safe area as well. She and her father were well known amongst the people, and trusted, and their presence would be helpful to calm nerves and rally the troops.

Everything was moving forward reasonably well. He and Suzaku would escort the next pair of Tributes to Pendragon, and Lloyd and Kallen would see to things back home. These Games, if they even happened, would be Britannia's last.

It seemed a perfect plan until they were gathered in the center square for the Reading of the Card. Lelouch hadn't been alive the last time the Card had been Read – the first explanation of what the Quarter Quell would entail.

The last one had been simple – a double tribute; two girls and two boys from every Area. The one before that, if Lelouch remembered his history correctly, the children had been selected by their own Area. Given that some of the Areas (1, 2, 4, even in its own way, 10) had started doing that in any case, it was hardly the momentous burden it seemed.

And now, the third Quarter Quell, would be something new. Something that would increase the perceived burden at a time already filled with resentment and loss. If this didn't tip the scales towards total revolution, Lelouch wasn't sure what would.

His father opened the Card to great fanfare and read it aloud, his beady violet eyes piercing through the screen and into the souls of everyone watching.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Dark Days before the pacification of the Areas, as a reminder to those who would rebel that even the strongest Numbers must bow before the will of Pendragon and her purest people, the twenty-four Tributes will be reaped from those who have thought themselves safe. Those who number amongst Britannia's Victors."

"Ah," Lelouch heard as if from a distance, despite the fact that it was unmistakably his own voice. "That changes things."


	7. The Reaping

"I'm going to volunteer if Lloyd's name is called."

"Yes, dear," Lelouch sighed, reaching over to grab the tangled sheets from where they'd been thrown at the side of the bed, wanting covers before the sweat cooled on his body. There was no point in fighting over this now; the Reaping wouldn't happen for months.

"I'm serious," Suzaku said, rolling onto his side, his monstrous endurance perking him back up just when Lelouch wanted to allow himself to drift off into post-coital unconscious bliss. "I'm not leaving you alone out there."

Lelouch gave in and wrapped himself around Suzaku, covering them both in the sheet. If they had to have this conversation, at least he'd be comfortable. "What brought this on all of a sudden? The announcement was weeks ago."

"I want to protect you," Suzaku said, as if it was obvious. Which, granted, it was. "I'll train and prepare and, when the Reaping comes around, I'll make sure that I'm coming to Pendragon with you."

"Hasn't it occurred to you that maybe you'd be of better use watching over Kallen and Nunnally and the rest?"

Suzaku shook his head. "I can't just stay here and hope for the best. You've already worked things through with Kallen. I've thought about this, and I can't just leave you alone in the arena without me to watch your back."

Lelouch just laughed and snuggled closer to Suzaku. "Without you to watch my back, Suzaku? As I recall, my back was rather exposed last time, when Luciano wasn't mounting it."

"And _thank you_ for bringing that up," Suzaku, the bastard, dug his fingers into Lelouch's side, tickling him mercilessly. "Are you saying you want to be free to shop for another Luciano?"

Lelouch dismissed that almost as soon as he started to consider it. It wasn't as if any of the Victors would fall for Lelouch's act like Luciano had. None of them would be as unhinged or desperate or, frankly, as stupid as Luciano had been. And even if they were, the odds of Lelouch finding someone who wanted what he had to offer a second time around was extremely unlikely. "No, that's certainly not part of any plans."

Suzaku nodded firmly. "Then I'm coming."

This time, Lelouch took his time to think that over. Apart from his initial impulse of wanting to deny Suzaku's plan and protect him from the violence of the arena, Lelouch was also prioritizing Nunnally again, placing her well-being in the hands of the one person Lelouch trusted above anyone else.

But he had to also take into consideration the fact that he and Suzaku just worked well together, as a team. Together, they could accomplish far more than either of them could alone. It was inevitable that Lelouch would be sent to Pendragon, and without Suzaku he really would be going alone. Nunnally had protection. She had their mother, Kallen, Kallen's little… group. The entire rebellion Lelouch was building behind her back would be devoted to her safety. And then there was the rebellion itself – new and uncertain and Suzaku was a risk to it, given the fact that he was subtly against it and couldn't hide his emotions and opinions. If he came to Pendragon with Lelouch, he wouldn't be a threat to the morale of those in Area 11, making Kallen's job much easier, and Lelouch could selfishly indulge in having Suzaku at his side.

The main problem remained the same as it had been during the last games. If he and Suzaku went together, only one of them would make it back. Lelouch's gambit in the previous game had only been permitted to succeed to further his father's agenda, his plot to incite a rebellion that would inevitably lead to a Britannian victory over the Numbered Areas once again. They wouldn't have that impetus this time, with the public used to their story by now, no longer shocked by noble self-sacrifice or spurred to action by proof of a love truer than death.

This time, the games would only have one Victor. That is, if they went through as planned. Lelouch hadn't made any specific plans as of yet, but he would have more resources than he'd had last time. Last time, he'd been surrounded by children, frightened and ill-prepared children. This time, the Tributes would be adults, Victors. Adults who had lived their own lives, made their own sacrifices and choices, and who now could fight on their own terms.

Well, some of them. Lelouch wasn't foolish enough to believe that age and experience alone were sufficient to foment courage. And twenty-four people, within a city of millions, didn't seem like much. But twenty-four warriors, set free within a city of sheep… that was something Lelouch could work with.

And, as always, his favoured tool would be Suzaku.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, a gentle prodding to bring Lelouch back to him and out of his lonely thoughts.

Lelouch smiled easily. "Alright, Suzaku. I'll let you have your way this time. But you'll owe me."

Suzaku just laughed and wrapped his arms around Lelouch. "So I guess that means you agree."

Lelouch chuckled, but didn't deny it.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

The next day, as Suzaku and Kallen went out hunting for more supplies, Lelouch spent the day with Lloyd, running over the list of previous Victors; their skills and their weaknesses, the likelihood of their being chosen or volunteering, and their relationship to Area 11 or, most specifically, to Lloyd.

There were the obvious ones – the only two surviving Victors from Area 12, for instance, who were, like Lelouch, chosen out of necessity. They were both elderly (one of them had fought before the first Quarter Quell and was over sixty) and, while likely useless physically, would be a good source of experience. Then there were the Victors in Areas 1, 2, and 4 – where the question was less who would be chosen and more who would push their way to the front of the pack to volunteer to go back to their place of glory.

Area 1 was, to Lelouch at least, fairly predicable. Cornelia must have known that Lelouch would inevitably participate, and she would find a way to enter herself. Even after the 'mercy' he'd shown her, she was undoubtedly after his blood. Her male companion would be one of the three male Victors, and that was a difficult choice.

Area 2 was more complicated yet, given that the competition between possible Tributes had often, in the past, been fatal to several of the candidates. With only eight Victors to choose from, the thought of culling that down before the Reaping even started had its attraction to Lelouch. Of course, it was probably what his father had hoped for as well, decreasing the number of strong Numbers who might be incited to fight against Britannia.

But it was one of the pictures in Area 4 that caught Lelouch's attention. Gino Weinberg, Victor of the Seventieth Hunger Games, was just a few years older than Lelouch and Suzaku. He'd be nineteen at the next games, but he already had a reputation as a playboy and something between a flirt and a slut. He smiled at more people than he slept with, but the margin wasn't nearly as wide as most people's. Lelouch, knowing the price that Pendragon levied against their Victors, couldn't help but wonder how much of that reputation was Gino's doing, and how much of it had been forced on him.

Lloyd made a soft, curious sound, and Lelouch found himself wondering if Lloyd had been forced to pay a similar price. "Lloyd?"

"Hmm?"

"After your victory, were you ever treated as a… trophy? Amongst the Britannians." That was putting it delicately.

Lloyd looked at him for a long moment, and then shrugged. "When I won, I was just fifteen, with no idea of the possible costs of victory. I had no family, no connections, and nothing much more than a foolish, boyish pride. When given the offer of luxury and comfort in return for my submission, I decided the price was too high. Of course, I hadn't been aware at that time of the variety of ways in which one could experience pain at the hands of a disappointed, but creative, pimp. Eventually, another Victor took the world's attention and I was forgotten."

Lelouch couldn't help wondering if he would have made that choice, even without Suzaku and Nunnally's futures hanging in the balance. He had no great love for pain and it was so easy to talk himself into giving up his pride for something more tangible. Would he have defied Britannia as Lloyd had? It was impossible to tell, but the fact that Britannia had faced defiance from its Victors before, and seemed to place little import on it, was rather comforting.

"Have you decided yet?" Lloyd asked, apparently out of nowhere.

Lelouch frowned, looking down at Gino's picture and seeing only a smiling face and nothing of the possible torment behind it. "Decided what?"

"Between me and Suzaku, of course!" Lloyd said.

Lelouch gave a half shrug. "It's not up to me." There was a long, disbelieving pause and Lelouch sighed. "And if it was, I'd be keeping Suzaku out of it."

Lloyd laughed. "So he found a backbone of his own, did he?"

Lelouch couldn't really argue that although, in hindsight, Suzaku had had a backbone of his own the whole time. He'd followed Lelouch only when it had coincided with his own interests, and gone rogue whenever it pleased him. His own interests were always his first priorities, although sometimes his own interests were as simple as keeping Lelouch happy.

"He's free to make his own choices, and always has been," Lelouch said. "Whether I agree with those choices…"

Lloyd laughed and Lelouch knew that he didn't have to finish that sentence.

They were about to move on to Area 7's Tributes when Suzaku burst into the room, in a complete tizzy. "You were right!"

Lelouch and Lloyd exchanged a look. They were both used to generally being right, but neither of them were used to Suzaku announcing it in such a dramatic fashion. Lelouch turned to Suzaku. "…yes?"

"Area 8 is revolting!"

"I didn't find it _that_ bad," Lloyd said, his voice pitched to reflect perfect sincerity. Lelouch couldn't help it; he laughed.

"This isn't funny!" Suzaku snapped. "They blew up one of the factories, with the workers still inside, and thousands of people are dead."

It wasn't funny. But it hadn't been funny for a long time and Suzaku was only now realizing that. "How do you know that, Suzaku?" The only person Lelouch knew with access to that kind of knowledge was the mayor, and it was unlikely that Pendragon would let even him know the truth of the situation.

"I met two people who fled from there," Suzaku said, still clearly upset. "They were injured and starving they told me everything. They'd barely escaped with their lives."

Lelouch had to admit that sounded more compelling than hearing it from Milly or her father. "Where are they now?"

Suzaku frowned a little, calming down. "They're going to Area 0."

Area 0? Lelouch had no idea what to say to that. Almost legend, Area 0 was kept alive only in the memory of those few who had survived the Dark Days of the first rebellion against Britannian rule and in the yearly memorial tribute that was as mandatory to watch as the games. The memorial, recorded in the still-smouldering ruins of what had once, according to history, been a bustling, lively city, was taped every year by a new fledgling reporter, dressed in layers and layers of protective gear, miles away from the craters and plumes of toxic smoke that were all that was left of the Area.

There was no reason to search Area 0 out, unless it was to scavenge through the ruins for the weapons and refined _sakuradite_ that had been processed there before the rebellion, before Pendragon realized how risky it was to keep them in the hands of Numbers. Suzaku, of course, knew that.

"They claim that the memorial video from Area 0 isn't real. It's staged."

Now, _that_ was intriguing. "How?" Lelouch asked.

"It's simple," Suzaku said, seemingly delighted at the opportunity to show off to (or show up) Lelouch. "The reporter is on a stage and the footage of Area 0 plays behind them. We saw special effects like that during the Hunger Games, and they'd only had a week or so to put it all together."

It did, when Suzaku put it that way, sound quite simple.

"It's been seventy-five years," Suzaku continued. "Don't you think something would have changed in all that time?"

"Not necessarily," Lelouch argued, but it was mostly reflexive at that point. He had no idea how long it would take to recover from the devastation that had wracked Area 0 after Pendragon had finished with them, but seventy-five years did sound almost impossibly long. "And even if this is all true, even if Area 0 was inhabitable, what makes you think that it would be any sort of refuge? Where were they when Pendragon stole our children and forced them to fight and kill? Where were they when we starved while Pendragon basked in luxury and waste?"

"I don't know," Suzaku said, voice small. "I don't know, but they… the refugees from Area 8 have hope, Lelouch. They could barely walk they were so hungry and tired, but they still had hope."

Lelouch shook his head. "We have hope too, Suzaku. It's why Kallen and I–"

"Their hope led them to believe in something bigger than themselves, to search out answers that they had faith were still out there. Your hope is leading you to abandon the only home you've known and lash out against anyone who's wronged you in any way. It's different."

"It is," Lelouch agreed. "The main difference being that my hope isn't based on wishful thinking and fairy tales."

"Are you saying that because you mean it?" Suzaku asked. "Or are you saying that because you don't want anything to take attention away from your _glorious_ rebellion?"

" _My_ glorious rebellion?" Lelouch demanded. "I won't even be here to watch it unfold. It might have been my idea, but it's Kallen's now. I have to leave her in charge of my plans and my hopes and my sister and… and trust me, Suzaku, a magical land full of weapons and warriors would be lovely, but it's not real."

They couldn't rely on supposition and faith. They needed facts and flesh-and-blood people willing to risk their lives for the cause. Area 0, while a lofty dream to aim for, was far to risky to even consider. They had each other, and that was all they could count on.

"There's a bird," Suzaku said. Lelouch frowned, not following. "Apparently there's a bird in the right hand corner of the memorial video. It flies past the same place at the same time and even loops. They didn't get a full half hour footage of smoking ruins."

Lelouch had never noticed that although, to be fair, he'd rarely paid anything like close attention. "Are you sure?"

"No. But that's what the people from Area 8 said. I just think that it's not impossible and, if Area 0 exists, I can't help but feel like they'd make a better ally than an enemy."

Lelouch couldn't argue with that. "Fair enough. And as long as you're not taking off for Area 0 any time soon, I'm content."

Suzaku smiled for the first time. "I'd never leave you."

"Yes," Lelouch said smiling back wryly as Suzaku moved closer. "You mentioned."

And just like that, all arguments and conflicts were forgotten as Suzaku leaned in and kissed him. But Suzaku's comment about the bird wasn't forgotten, and Lelouch made a mental note to revisit it in the future.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

As they waited for the Reaping day, Lelouch and Suzaku fell into a pattern. Suzaku split his time between hunting and training with makeshift swords and spears, working with Lloyd to improve his natural abilities at combat. Lelouch split his time between reviewing the previous Victor's games and outlining plans and watching Suzaku improve his natural abilities. He had to admit the latter was rather self-indulgent, but Suzaku would occasionally catch him watching and force him to train with him. Lelouch could hold a sword properly, but it didn't take many blows before his arms grew numb, and he was hopeless at unarmed combat. He was better with smaller weapons; the knives that Rolo had wielded with cold deadliness, the bow and arrow that Kallen had grudgingly lent them for a few days. The worst, however, was when Suzaku decided that they needed to work on endurance and chased Lelouch around the Victor's Village, inevitably catching him and subjecting him to the humiliating torture of being tickled.

It was hugely undignified.

It was after one of those 'training sessions' that Lelouch retreated to Milly's house, hiding away in one of the few refuges that Suzaku wouldn't follow him into, as he still thought he was in Milly's black books for the incident with the rabbit and the carpet and covering it over by moving the armchair until her father had to hunt down the source of the odor. Lelouch had never told him that Milly didn't hold any grudge, having found it amusing and finding Suzaku, generally, adorable.

Milly was out, but her father was in, watching the memorial video. This time, the reporter was a young girl, not much other that Lelouch, looking small and delicate and very brave in her protective gear, recounting a brief history of Area 0 and the folly that had led to its downfall. Behind her, the ruins smoldered and smoked, as they had every year Lelouch had seen this.

Lelouch couldn't help it. Ignoring the dithering woman, he fixed his eyes on the upper right hand corner of the screen, watching for a sign that he'd missed every year since he'd decided that Pendragon (personified through his absent father) was deceitful and manipulative. For a few minutes there was nothing, and Lelouch figured that Suzaku and his refugees from Area 8 were just indulging in wishful thinking.

And then a crow flew past, just cutting through the right corner of the screen, clearly taking off. Lelouch must have made a small sound, because Mr. Ashford looked up from the TV and smiled. "Hello, Lelouch. Didn't see you there."

Lelouch chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I was just… looking for Milly."

"She's not here," the mayor said, gesturing to the couch. "Take a seat."

Lelouch sat down a little awkwardly, shifting slightly. Mr. Ashford was debatably the most powerful man in Area 11, apart from the head of the Peacekeepers, and Lelouch had always been close with his daughter. It wasn't that Mr. Ashford was a particularly intimidating man, but every time they were alone together, the question of Lelouch-and-Milly hung in the air between them. Lelouch would have hoped that his engagement would have prevented that awkwardness, or possibly his imminent death, but it was still there, unaddressed but unwavering and, most of all, unnerving.

"I'll bet you didn't know that Pendragon sends these videos to the leaders of each Area a week before the official air date," Mr. Ashford said. "I suppose it wouldn't look very good if we reacted poorly in public to any of them."

Lelouch hadn't known that. But it did make sense. "The games are in realtime though, aren't they?"

Mr. Ashford nodded. "The games are meant, in part, to shock." The memorial video ended and he turned off the television. "I obviously can't say this in public, Lelouch, but… I'm so sorry you're going back there."

Lelouch felt himself go pale. That was a _dangerous_ thing to say, almost treasonous. "Sir!"

Mr. Ashford shook his head. "This is a safe place. It's swept for bugs weekly." He smiled weakly. "And not by the local Peacekeepers, either."

That was almost worse than the apology – the acknowledgement that the Peacekeepers weren't here for the Area's own good. Lelouch gaped at the mayor, unable to think of anything to say to that, wanting only to change the subject. "Sir, would you have recordings of the memorial videos from the previous years?"

Mr. Ashford looked momentarily disappointed, then his smile returned, only more shrewd this time. "Of course, Lelouch. Anything for such a good friend of my daughter's." He went to rummage through the recordings from years past, while Lelouch was left to ponder over the meaning of those words.

The Ashfords were the hand of Pendragon in Area 11. They enforced and upheld the directives and laws passed down from their Britannian masters. Their loyalty was beyond reproach, mainly because their own best interests coincided with Britannia's. It would have taken a man with very large-picture view of the world to see any future problems that might arise from such a patronising, yet symbiotic relationship.

Perhaps Milly's father was just that far-seeing, however. Maybe all this treasonous talk was to let Lelouch know that he was on their side and, more importantly, that his daughter was as well. He could have been doing his best to wrangle a promise of protection from Lelouch for his family, which would also have explained the disappointment.

"Here you go," Mr. Ashford said, handing Lelouch the old recordings. "About ten years worth should do it, no?"

Lelouch took the recordings with a smile. "Nicely, yes, thank you sir." He met Mr. Ashford's eyes and nodded very slowly, very emphatically. "I hope to be able to return this favour in the future."

The look of relief on Mr. Ashford's face was all the proof Lelouch needed that he'd understood the man's needs and fears. "I hope you don't have to, Lelouch. But I appreciate the thought."

The thought that Lelouch had basically just promised amnesty to the most visible servants of Pendragon was washed away almost instantly the moment he played recording after recording, watching the patterns of smoke and the placement of stones and the flight of that damned bird year after year after year.

Suzaku came up behind him. "What're you doing?"

"Area 0 exists," Lelouch said with utter certainty. "Now we have to take that into consideration as well."

Suzaku smiled, as he almost always did when Lelouch used the word 'we'. "We'll meet up with Kallen and Lloyd tomorrow." He wrapped his arms around Lelouch's neck from behind and placed a kiss on the back of his head. "For now, just come to bed."

Lelouch wasn't even slightly tired. "Alright."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

By the day before the Reaping, everything was set. Kallen and Lelouch had worked out a series of secret signals that he could pass along to her if it seemed like things were getting out of hand in Pendragon, and Milly had been very carefully brought into the revolutionary fold. There had been a few fires to put out, namely some of the adults who had a problem with being led by adolescents, but Lelouch had put them in their places with a rapid-fire delivery of likely scenarios that he outlined and demanded solutions to them. The furthest any of them had gotten was to the third before tripping up.

Otherwise, everything had run almost unnaturally smoothly. The Peacekeepers kept their grudging distance from the mayor's daughter and the Victors, following the unspoken protocol that had maintained the balance between the three powers in the Area for generations. Meanwhile, the rebellion had swelled to over a thousand, far more than even Lelouch could keep track of, although he did ensure that every group had only one of two members who knew the other members, and that there were at least two layers of insulation from the newer recruits to him or Kallen.

The plan was generally simple. Those who were most useful in the forest – the miners and few townsfolk that Suzaku and Kallen had trained for wilderness survival – would leave first. Milly would keep her ears open for any suspicions from the Peacekeepers, and at the first sign of questioning, they would start a rumour of an illness. At that point, the younger children and older adults would join the others, the first 'victims' of the plague, while their family members and close friends were placed in quarantine, to join them within a few days. They had the manpower and the supplies to carry it off, and Kallen had gone over enough crisis scenarios with Lelouch to be prepared for almost anything.

She, along with Nunnally and Marianne, would have to stay in the town during the initial interviewing process, while the Britannian media were still around. Once they left, however, Nunnally was slotted to be one of the first victims of the plague, with Marianne followed soon after. Milly planned to stay until the near end, assuring Lelouch that she could do more good in town than in the wild. Kallen had agreed, and Suzaku, and Lelouch was outnumbered, especially since _he_ agreed as well, and it was only his promise to Mayor Ashford that had made him want Milly out sooner.

He trusted Kallen to convince her to leave before things got too dangerous.

It was strange. He trusted Kallen. A lot. He hadn't really seen that coming. In fact, if he'd had to choose between her or Suzaku at his back, Lelouch would have had to think for a moment.

Which felt a little disloyal to Lelouch, but it wasn't as if he'd have a choice in any case. The moment he stepped on the stage, at Cecile's side, overlooking the empty field where all the children should have been waiting to be Reaped (or not, but no one's stomach clenched in fear at _that_ idea), Lelouch's choices were over. The usual patriotic propaganda played behind him and then Cecile stood up to the microphone, taking a deep breath to start her usual spiel.

"You know what?" Her voice echoed eerily over the deserted meadow. "There's no point to this charade. Suzaku, if you would?"

Suzaku froze, his eyes darting back and forth between her face and Lelouch's and Lloyd, standing beside him. No one offered him any kind of order, other than Cecile's invitation, so Suzaku swallowed and climbed up to stand beside Lelouch, stiff and awkward. Lelouch reached out and took his hand, threading their fingers together, and Suzaku shot him a wavery, grateful smile.

"Alright, then. Area 11, once again, your Tributes."

Silence greeted Cecile's apathetic announcement. Then Lloyd started clapping, the insincere slow applause of an unentertained.

"Congraaaatulation, you two!"

Mr. Ashford hustled Lelouch and Suzaku off, glaring at Cecile as he left the stage, but Lelouch felt that overall, that had been done just about as perfectly as he could have imagined.

There were no farewells this time, an entire contingent of Peacekeepers escorted them to the train.

"Wait, what about Lloyd?" Suzaku asked.

"He's not coming," Cecile said. "With all the Tributes being former Victors, there's no point in bringing along mentors."

Suzaku turned to Lelouch, grabbing onto his forearm. "Did you know about this?"

"I knew it was a possibility," Lelouch said shortly. "Area 12 has only two Victors to choose from, and couldn't bring a mentor along in any case. This way, it looks more fair." It also meant that fewer Numbers would be in Pendragon this year, and raised Lelouch's suspicions that something was going to happen during the games, something plotted against them – the Victors amongst Victors.

When they got into the train, Lelouch verified his theory, and watched the Reaping in the other Areas. As he suspected, the Areas with the most Victors had volunteers step up – Area 1 had Cornelia and a tall, elegant man who had eyes only for her. Area 2 had two vicious-looking veterans and even Area 3 had two volunteers, a tall lazy woman who dwarfed everyone else on the stage, and an earnest middle-aged man with calm, patient eyes who stepped up in place of an elderly, stooped man.

Area 4, however, was the most remarkable. When Gino Weinberg's name was called no one stepped up in his place, and he looked willing enough as he smiled and waved to the cameras. But when the female Tribute was called, Anya Alstreim, someone stood in front of her, protective and overly dramatic, dressed in silks and petticoats and made up like either a whore or a clown.

"I volunteer!"

It was so obviously a parody of Lelouch's actions when he'd stood up for Nunnally that Lelouch was stunned into an incredulous silence as he watched, a small part of him impressed by how no one laughed. Their escort was a young man, early to mid twenties, and seemed quite overwhelmed by the strong personality of the old man, "Taizou Kirihara, female Tribute for Area 4!" Gino embraced him warmly and knelt at his feet, pledging his devotion to his fair maiden, while Kirihara tittered. Literally tittered.

Suzaku came up behind him and cocked his head to the side. "What on earth…"

Lelouch shrugged. "Area 4, your Tributes."

"I think we are officially no longer the most interesting thing to watch," Suzaku said, bemused.

Lelouch reached around behind himself, and pulled Suzaku down. "You're still the only Tribute who'd draw my eye."

Suzaku smiled and leaned closer. "Area 5 is starting."

"Shut up and kiss me, idiot."

The rest of the Reaping was relatively smooth, with no one else stepping up to volunteer until Suzaku, although there were several defaults with only one option for a male or female Tribute in one Area or another. Area 12 had both defaults, and the Reaping ended on a rather dull note. Lelouch smiled at the attempts from Diethard to liven up the ending, but there was too much dissonance between the proud Tributes and the mocking Tributes and Lelouch and Suzaku's tragic story and the resigned plodding of those who'd had no chance.

This wasn't the grand spectacle that had been planned. That alone was enough to please Lelouch, and Suzaku reaped the full rewards of that pleasure until Lelouch collapsed, exhausted beside him, exquisitely sore and satisfied and entirely prepared to take on all of Pendragon and every single Victor for Suzaku's sake.

And, this time, with Suzaku at his side.


	8. Enemies and Alliances

Politics. It all came down to politics. Not the official practice; which was practically pointless in Britannia with the patrilineal absolute monarchy that ruled it, balancing power between those with money and those with nobility rather than giving the average person any say in the matter; but the games of reality and appearance and substance versus style. Lelouch had nothing of substance to offer, but where it came to style…

"You're joking."

C.C. slapped the back of his head. "Don't malign my works of art."

"I'm decked out like a rabbit. A _sexy_ rabbit."

"Bunny. A sexy bunny," C.C. corrected, adjusting the bowtie around Lelouch's throat. "Although you do leave quite a bit to be desired around the cleavage area. At least your hair's long enough to accent that gorgeous neck."

Lelouch barely parsed the complaints and compliments and corrections. "What the hell are you putting Suzaku into?"

"You'll see…"

It wasn't much better than Lelouch's although he had to admit they matched, at least in terms of bow ties and shirt cuffs without shirts and tight black briefs. That, however, was where Suzaku's costume ended while Lelouch's added fishnet stockings, a lacy corset, and a white poofy tail and a headband with rabbit ears. The point was that they both looked as ridiculous as they'd looked magnificent the previous year.

"Do you think this is funny?" Lelouch demanded.

"Not funny," C.C. said. "Pointless. You're going out there no matter what, but everything – the pomp and parades and glamour and grace… all that does it justify it. And it's not justifiable. You're going out there are you are, Lelouch, Suzaku. As entertainers for the sake of titillation, pure and simple. Viewers get off on watching you dress up, on watching you fight, and on watching you die. And this is as close as we can get to rubbing that fact in their faces."

Lelouch hadn't had any idea that C.C. felt this way. Well, really that she'd felt any way at all. "Just… promise me you have something different for our interviews. Something more… more."

C.C. smiled. "I guarantee it."

They walked down to the chariots, Suzaku draping his arm around Lelouch's shoulders after he shivered – it was rather chilly. Unfortunately, this ruffled his shirt cuff and C.C., impatiently clucking her tongue, pulled him aside to fix it. Lelouch meandered towards their chariot, when a bright blond braid caught his eye. He smiled and turned towards the Area 4 chariot, unconsciously putting a little extra sway in his hips.

"Lelouch!" The blonde braid disappeared behind broad shoulders as Gino Weinberg turned around, his face lighting up as he caught sight of Lelouch approaching him, his arms outstretched in an open gesture of welcome.

"Gino," Lelouch replied, moving just close enough that Gino could embrace him if he wanted to, but without inviting it. Gino clasped both his shoulders before flinging his arm around Lelouch like a friend. "You look…" As Lelouch was barely clothed in fishnet and pleather, Gino was similarly exposed, only in _actual_ fishnet, woven into enough cloth to barely cover his groin. At least he had a cape, a deep sea green that matched the weave that hung loosely around his hips, and a plastic trident that looked more real than an actual trident. Lelouch recalled Gino's Hunger Game, the memorable image of a real trident floating down from the sky, a gift to the most favoured Tribute of all time; and the way Gino stood over the penultimate Tribute, that same Trident in his hands, red and black with blood, old and new.

He'd looked like a vengeful demon, beautiful, even to Lelouch's twelve-year-old eyes. Barely fourteen herself, Gino had come down from that with a cheerfulness and vivacity that couldn't be real and, once he'd turned eighteen, he'd openly and energetically entered Pendragon's social scene, coming back every few months as some nobleman or woman's personal guest. Lelouch had… _enjoyed_ Pendragon's hospitality himself. If made him wonder how Gino kept smiling all the damn time.

Like he was smiling now. "You do too! Look, I mean." Gino's grin widened. "And so does your beau."

Lelouch matched him smile for smile. "I'm sure he'll be flattered that you think so."

"It's about time you two started showing up and showing off," Gino said cheerfully. "You're only young once!"

Oh, the layers beneath that simple statement. Lelouch smiled and ducked out of Gino's hold as gracefully as he could. "Age is both more and less than a number, Gino. Especially here in Pendragon."

A flicker of uncertainty passed over Gino's face, barely a moment of sympathetic regret, and then he was grinning again. "That is _so true_! A few of my more picky paramours have offered me eternal youth in a bottle should I ever show signs of wrinkles." Gino scrunched up his nose. "Apparently I smile too much or something." He leaned in, winking. "You know, between the three of us; you, me, and Suzaku; we could make a killing."

Lelouch blinked at the offer, stunned at the implications – only one of them could make it out of Pendragon alive, so Gino must have meant… "We would certainly be the prettiest alliance in the Games."

"Don't knock it 'till you've exploited it," Gino said, making a face. "I need something to offset Kirihara."

Lelouch looked over Gino's shoulder at the old man, seemingly wearing all the layers Gino wasn't. You could barely see his face for all the ruffles and ribbons and the largest, most grotesque hat Lelouch had ever seen. "Do you ever get the impression that your stylist is out to get you?"

"All the time," Gino said. "But that hardly matters, 'cause I can make anything look good."

Lelouch let his eyes wander over Gino's body. "No disagreement here."

"Awesome. So I'll see you after the parade? You and Suzaku…"

Lelouch nodded. "We'll be there."

The parade was a farce, very nearly a disaster. Cornelia and her partner, the alliteratively named Gilbert G. P. Guilford, attempted to maintain their typical dignity, leading the procession as if they'd already won, like royalty itself. But it wasn't long until Gino and Kirihara showed up and the titters started, increasing as the desperate attempts of the stylists to dress up old and drug-addled Victors made a parody of the usual parade filled with young, vibrant (if often terrified) children. By the time Lelouch and Suzaku came into view, the crowd was rowdy enough to yell out catcalls and wolf-whistles, and Lelouch was more than willing to encourage them, with one hand smoothing suggestively over Suzaku's back (while Suzaku's hand rested firmly on Lelouch's ass) the other one playfully toying with his bowtie. When he bit down coyly on his index finger, the chorus of laughter and jeers rage out like music to his ears. No one was talking this seriously. Suzaku pulled him in for a kiss and Lelouch arched against him as the chariot pulled into its position, jarring them both so that they clung to each other for balance, looking like they were moments away from something more than a mere PDA.

The anthem started playing and Suzaku growled softly as he forced himself to pull away from Lelouch, leaving Lelouch breathless and panting and thanking C.C.'s choice in black briefs which managed to hide any embarrassing bulges in the shadows from the setting sun. His hand was still firmly held in Suzaku's, and Lelouch squeezed it once in a wordless promise that they'd continue this after they were alone.

Suzaku squeezed back and Lelouch tuned out the usual speeches and ceremonies and let himself dwell only on the anticipation of what Suzaku would do to him once they were back in their rooms.

Any thought of Gino or the games or his father's glowering stare were filtered away, to be dealt with later.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

It turned out, that was a bad idea. Neither Lelouch nor Suzaku were patient enough to get to one of their bedrooms and Cecile, wisely enough, made herself scarce the moment Suzaku pressed Lelouch down on the couch. Lelouch spread his legs easily, one hooked over the back and one practically dragging on the floor as Suzaku settled between them, grinding impatiently against Lelouch as they kissed. The pleather shorts were confining but not painfully tight, and added their own exquisite pressure and friction that was unlike anything Lelouch had experienced before. His stupid rabbit tail pressed against his sacrum, just above his ass, and the pressure there was teasing and arousing, and Lelouch wanted Suzaku in him _now_.

"We don't have…" Suzaku grunted between kisses, his train of thought apparently following Lelouch's.

"Don't care, _oh_ …" Lelouch gasped and bucked as Suzaku's hand slid down the front of his pants to grasp his erection. "You know I don't need much prep anymore, just, _hnn_ , Suzaku, need you inside me…"

Suzaku shuddered at Lelouch's pleading voice, but shook his head. "Next time. Let's just, _ohgod_ ," Lelouch's hand slipped inside Suzaku's pants to return the favour, "let's just get off now, like this, and get to bed and I'll… _ah, Lelouch_ , any-anything you want."

Lelouch was far too gone to argue, just barely able to yank Suzaku's pants down and pull him closer, until Suzaku fumbled Lelouch's own cock free from his briefs and they could rut together in the warm space between their bodies, slick and hot and already so close. Lelouch hooked his leg over Suzaku's hip, holding him close as Suzaku thrust against him without holding back, moving more towards completion than their more usual playful rhythms. Lelouch wasn't usually a fan of fast and dirty but it had its place, and Suzaku's promise of more, later, was enough for Lelouch to let himself go, arching and crying out as Suzaku worked his orgasm from him, following him moments later, fast and dirty as advertised.

Lelouch's corset was ruined, the lacy frills glued together and streaked with white, and Suzaku's shorts were actually torn along one seam, and the couch could use a good cleaning, but Lelouch didn't really care about any of that.

"Hmm… you're heavy," Lelouch half-complained as he caught his breath, toying with Suzaku's damp curls and feeling languidly satisfied. "And sticky."

Suzaku laughed and pressed a kiss against Lelouch's throat. "You're sticky too." He pulled back, ignoring Lelouch soft whine. "And you still have those ears on."

Lelouch released Suzaku's hair to bat over his head, making Suzaku laugh in that boyish, happy way of his as he sat up to pull the headband off and work at the fastenings on Lelouch's corset. "This thing is way more complicated than it looks."

"Nah, just unhook the top and loosen the laces and it'll slide right off."

When Suzaku jumped at the unexpected voice, it jarred a few rather delicate organs and for a moment all Lelouch could think of was how uncomfortably easy it was to go from placid pleasure to agonizing pain. Then the voice actually registered and he cursed silently at his idiotic obsession with Suzaku and how easily it distracted him from important things.

"What are you doing here?" Suzaku growled as if his cock wasn't still exposed, his shorts bunched down mid-thigh.

"I was invited," Gino said, calmly. "Well, sorta. There was an implied invitation. Maybe I should've waited for someone to answer the door." Lelouch couldn't see Suzaku's expression, but whatever it was seemed to have drained a good deal of Gino's natural cheer. "Yeah, I probably should've waited…"

Lelouch sat up, still a little stiff but the pain was fading fast. Gino caught his eyes and his lips twitched in barely repressed amusement. Lelouch wanted to bury his face in Suzaku's neck and hide from that knowing expression; it was bad enough that Lelouch's body was on the market, Gino watching what happened privately between him and Suzaku was far too close to exposing Lelouch's heart. At least this had been closer to rutting than their usual lovemaking. "If you could give us a moment, Gino, we'll be right with you."

Gino gave a jaunty salute and meandered over to the dining room. Suzaku watched him go with narrowed eyes before turning to Lelouch. "You _invited_ him?"

"Not for this," Lelouch said, a little stung at Suzaku's tone. "Just to talk. I think he was proposing an alliance before."

Suzaku's eyes narrowed further. "And what does he want in exchange for this alliance?"

"He's not Luciano, if that's what you're getting at," Lelouch snapped. "We're all Victors here, Suzaku, we've all gone through this, and Gino's seen you in action and if he's got the intelligence of a gnat, he was impressed. And he's impressive too – younger and stronger and better than most. It's a good match."

"And more attractive," Suzaku shot back.

"Oh, for…" Lelouch cupped Suzaku's face in his hands and kissed him with everything he had, all the love and tenderness and passion that he felt every day, even when Suzaku was driving him insane. "He's very pretty." He kissed Suzaku's lips. "And charming." Suzaku's chin. "And he knows how to properly remove a corset." A light peck on Suzaku's nose. "And I'd slit his throat in a heartbeat if it meant protecting you."

Suzaku smiled, a little sad. "It's too bad that's not hypothetical." He brushed his thumb along Lelouch's cheek. "And that none of that means you wouldn't fuck him."

Lelouch just shrugged. There really was no denying that.

"Hey, guys?" Gino called from the kitchen, his voice slightly muffled by whatever he was eating. "Can you hurry it up?" He sauntered around the corner and grinned at them, moving forward until he was leaning on the back of the couch, inches away from where Lelouch and Suzaku were still curled up together, in each other's laps. "Or invite me to join you…"

Suzaku growled and Lelouch laughed, Gino's over-the-top enthusiasm more amusing than threatening. "We need a quick shower. Please, help yourself to any of the amenities."

"Sure thing, cutie," Gino said winking at him before turning to Suzaku and letting his eyes rake over Suzaku's body. "Take your time with him. I know _I_ would."

Suzaku's growl increased in volume and depth and Lelouch was halfway to getting turned on again. "Come on, love," he said, kissing Suzaku's cheek. "It's rude to keep our guest waiting."

"He's not _my_ guest," Suzaku said grumpily, and Gino just laughed and hopped over the back of the couch, nestling comfortably in the cushions that Suzaku had just fucked Lelouch into. Lelouch shivered as Gino's shoulder brushed against the small of his back and Suzaku moved faster than Lelouch would have thought possible, standing and pulling Lelouch up and into his arms. "We're leaving."

"Hurry up, we all want to be well-rested for tomorrow's training," Gino said, waving idly as he flipped on the television. Lelouch muffled his giggles in Suzaku's shoulder as Suzaku tensed at that, almost cruelly amused at Suzaku's jealous impatience. In return for the laughter, however, Lelouch snagged a tube of lubrication on the way to the shower and teased Suzaku into letting him make it up to him until Suzaku came inside him as the shower rained down on them, draining away all signs of their activities.

They were still under half an hour, which Lelouch thought was fairly reasonable, and Suzaku was in a much better mood than he had been, properly dressed if still a little damp. Lelouch was careful to keep close to him when they returned, resting a hand on Suzaku's arm as Gino looked up from the show he'd been watching.

"How do you two look even _better_ like that?"

Suzaku grinned, or at least he bared his teeth, as Lelouch sat them down on an adjoining couch. "As you said, we'd all like to get this over with. What do you want, Gino?"

"Just to talk," Gino said. "Hey, how was your Victory Tour?"

"Painfully awkward," Lelouch said. "How was yours?"

"Kinda fun, actually. I especially liked Areas 8 and 7, although Area 5 was interesting as well…"

Lelouch perked up. All those Areas had been where rebellions had been put down.

"Area 7?" Suzaku asked, wrinkling his nose. "The pulp and paper mills stank when Lelouch and I visited them…"

"But other than that, it was one of our favourite Areas as well," Lelouch interrupted quickly. "As well as Area 4, of course. And Area 6?"

Gino looked hard at Lelouch, then shook his head. Lelouch sighed; it had been a long shot in any case, C.C.'s hint had been more towards Area 5 than 6. At least Gino seemed to understand that they were on the same page. "I wish I could say the same for Area 11."

Lelouch shrugged. "I can't blame you for leaving it off the list, but things change. Maybe your opinion will improve if you make it out of these games." By then, Area 11's own 'rebellion' would be well underway.

Gino nodded slowly before breaking out into a smile. "About that, I did come here hoping for something of an alliance."

"What's in it for us?" Suzaku asked, easily shifting gears and trusting that Lelouch would fill him in later. Lelouch felt a wellspring of grateful affection for him in that moment.

"A fighter at your side instead of at your back?" Gino suggested. "I've seen some of the things these Victors can do, and they're… impressive, to say the least." He eyed Lelouch. "Plus I think someone already has her eyes on you."

Lelouch nodded. "That's something to consider. If you join with us, Cornelia will make you a target as well."

"And Guilford," Gino said. "He follows her lead. The only reason she wasn't mentoring last year was because her sister–"

"Euphy," Suzaku interrupted. "She has a name."

Lelouch reached out and held Suzaku's hand. "Why us, Gino? We already have each other and, frankly, we have no reason to trust you. So why come to us? What are you hoping to gain?"

Gino looked between the two of them and suddenly flung himself at Lelouch's feet, grabbing his hand and clinging desperately to it. "Every since the first moment I saw you, I made a pledge in my heart that I would die for you, my beauty! Please, just give me that chance."

Lelouch stood before Suzaku could, and stared down at Gino. "I… let us talk it over, Gino, and we'll give you our answer tomorrow."

Gino released his hand just as dramatically as he'd grabbed it, slumping down on the floor as if defeated. "I understand. I just…"

"Get out," Suzaku snapped. Gino stayed crumpled on the floor for a moment longer, and then sprang to his feet, all smiles again.

"Kay." He leaned in and pecked Lelouch's cheek. "You really are adorable, you know." Suzaku stepped closer, his hands balled into fists and Gino's smile widened as he mirrored Suzaku's movement until he was flush with him, hip-to-hip, and he grabbed the back of Suzaku's head and kissed him with admirable expertise and force, enough to stun Suzaku just long enough for Gino to dance away.

"You are too, Suzaku! See you tomorrow!"

Suzaku still looked completely flustered after the door closed behind Gino, his face flushed and his mouth gaping open like a fish. Lelouch wound his arms around Suzaku's shoulders and kissed his neck. "You promised me you'd take me to bed."

Suzaku turned in Lelouch's arms and kissed him almost gratefully, the comfort of Lelouch's lips chasing away the shock of Gino's. Lelouch took the moment to open the small paper that Gino had slipped into his hand during his ostentatious confession and, once he read it, he kissed Suzaku back forcefully, demanding more than just kisses.

As Suzaku pounded him into the mattress, chasing away all inconsequential thoughts, Lelouch's mind latched onto that message and toyed with what it meant and the choices it opened up for Lelouch. As he begged Suzaku to give it to him harder, faster, right there, _oh_ , Lelouch plotted scenarios and counterscenarios based on a three-word note from someone Lelouch didn't even completely trust.

But the hope was far too strong to resist.

_Cornelia's with us._

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Suzaku was less than impressed with Lelouch's plan the next morning.

"I just want to see if it's possible that he's right." Lelouch was careful not to give any details out loud, ever since whispering what he knew and what he knew Gino knew into Suzaku's ear after sex. There weren't that many other moments to share intimate information without the chance of being overheard. It had rather ruined the afterglow, but at least Suzaku was well-informed now.

"There has to be a safer way of doing it," Suzaku protested as they walked into the training arena. "At least let me come with you."

Lelouch nodded. "Fine, but keep back. I want her attention on me, not on my bodyguard."

"I'll more than _guard_ your body," Suzaku said leering ridiculously. It was so out of place and silly, almost playful, that it took Lelouch a moment to process it before he snickered and shoved at Suzaku's shoulder, feeling the tension ease and something inside him unknot. "You're so gorgeous when you smile."

Lelouch felt his cheeks flush and opened his mouth to retort when the elevator door opened onto the training arena and he quickly gathered himself, a mask of bland curiosity hiding his emotions. Suzaku pouted slightly and put his own mask on, a wide-eyed innocence that practically hurt Lelouch's back teeth.

They were late. Well, they supposed to be late, almost by an hour due to Lelouch's decision to seduce Suzaku into a position where he could whisper Gino's information into his ear without it being overheard. Well, that and the leisurely shower that followed it. Lelouch had expected to walk into a bustling mass of training Tributes, possibly teams already forming, alliances and past grudges raising their ugly heads.

What greeted them was more like an empty room, apart from the trainers and the woman in charge of orientation. She caught sight of Lelouch and Suzaku and waved them casually towards the training arena. "You two doubtlessly remember the rules from last year. No physical contact with the other Tributes outside of supervised training, no blocking a station from other Tributes, try to mix up combat and survival training."

It was far less formal than the lectures they'd received, which actually made sense. Everyone had been through this before and, while some of the older Tributes might need a quick refresher, everyone knew what they were getting into. This wasn't a random group of kids flung into a new and dangerous situation. These were veterans, already scared from previous experiences and unlikely to forget even the minutia of their first time.

And, apparently, most of them were just as unlikely to want to revisit their first time. The arena wasn't, as it first appeared, _completely_ deserted. There were a few Tributes playing with the camouflage dyes, a couple of the older men at the weight-lifting station boasting and gossiping more than weight-lifting, and what appeared to be a formal duel between Cornelia and Guilford near the back of the arena, carefully watched by the gamemakers.

Lelouch tore his eyes from the spectacle of two warriors battling in earnest, not to kill or maim, but for the art of it. It was impressive but what was far more important to Lelouch was how Schneizel, seated above the arena, was taking it.

He was watching, but distantly, as if the scene didn't touch him at all. As if he was looking at two pieces on a chessboard move into an interesting formation, and was planning his moves accordingly, rather than watching his younger half-sister cross swords with someone a head taller and leanly muscled and clearly skilled. He caught Lelouch watching and smiled, raising his wine glass in a brief salute. Lelouch scowled and looked away, but not before he caught Schneizel's gaze briefly flickering towards the corner of the stands, at the small distortion there.

An energy shield. Lelouch had seen it before, in previous Hunger Games, containing the area. To see it here, separating the gamemakers and the Tributes, had many more layers of meaning, and ones Lelouch could appreciate. If he hadn't had Suzaku to protect, he certainly would have considered using this opportunity for an assassination attempt, since he wasn't leaving these games alive, and he likely wasn't the only one who would have preferred taking out a Pendragon citizen to taking out another Tribute.

Guilford misstepped, leaning just slightly too far to the right, and Cornelia pounced on the mistake, driving him back until she broke through his defences and he raised his hands in surrender. There was some scattered applause from the sidelines, and Lelouch realized that most of the Tributes had drifted forward to watch. As Cornelia and Guilford put away their swords, they were soon surrounded by Tributes offering them congratulations, water, towels. It looked like a close-knit community during a festival rather than competitors testing each other out, which actually made a kind of horrible sense. Most of the Victors would have known each other for years, between mentoring and the yearly tours, as well as the occasional invitations to Pendragon itself.

Alliances weren't 'already forming' – they'd already formed. Actual friendships and mutual pacts that had gone unspoken but were being honoured… Lelouch was only now realizing how much of a disadvantage he and Suzaku were in due to being so new to the group. Or, more accurately, in being outsiders from the group.

It was a good thing that alliances weren't an integral part of Lelouch's plan.

He approached Cornelia just as the other Victors were drifting away. "Nicely done."

She looked up, her eyes flashing, and suddenly Guilford was there, physically standing between her and Lelouch. Suzaku moved up beside Lelouch, his posture subtly aggressive, enough to draw Guilford's attention to him. Cornelia, however, didn't even acknowledge him, keeping her focus on Lelouch.

"And what have you prepared to entertain us, Lelouch?"

Lelouch smiled. "I tend to improvise my grandest gestures. Like sparing your life." Guilford moved forward, and Suzaku cut him off. Lelouch studiously ignored them and Cornelia just returned his smile, with a sharp edge.

"You really think they would have actually listened to _you_? To a self-important brat whose only claim to fame is the manipulation of hormonal teenage boys."

Well, that and apparently starting a rebellion. "They did listen, though, didn't they?" Lelouch asked. "And I think I disappointed them. What they wanted to see was their newest champion showing an old favourite her place." Also, Number against Number, Area against Area. An impromptu repeat of the Hunger Games themselves. It would have been a spectacular mini-show. The more Lelouch thought about it, the most obvious of a set-up it was.

From the dark humour that lit up Cornelia's eyes, she'd come to more or less the same conclusion. "My place, Lelouch?" She grabbed one of the swords from where they'd been carelessly put back. Lelouch barely managed to take a step back before Suzaku and Guilford burst into action, clashing just off to the side of Lelouch and Cornelia in a collision of furious action that Lelouch couldn't even make out as Cornelia moved towards him, sword in her hand and fire in her eyes and all Lelouch could do was flinch.

"No contact between Tributes!"

The sword stopped barely a shadow's width away from Lelouch's throat. "The games will show our respective _places_ , Lelouch."

Lelouch tried not to swallow, not sure if that would be all it took to drive the sword's point down his throat. The sword trainer watched them without comment after his first and only warning, more than willing to stay out of the conflict as long as no rules were being broken.

"You made your point!" Suzaku called from where Guilford had him pinned. "Back off, already."

Cornelia smiled. "Your pup is poorly trained, Lelouch. Does he chew things and wet the carpet as well?"

"…why does that sound hot when you say that?" Gino asked rhetorically, his unexpected voice just over Lelouch's right shoulder nearly making Lelouch jump. "Ah. Because you're a hot lady with a giant phallic symbol and Lelouch looks lovely all wide-eyed and _quiet_ with said phallic object pointed just under those luscious lips."

The sword stayed up for another moment, then Cornelia cracked half a smile and lowered it, letting Lelouch breathe. "Take your sick fantasies and ideas elsewhere, Weinberg."

"Ma'am," Gino said, bowing a little. Suzaku, released from Guilford's hold, rushed to Lelouch's side and Gino reached out and patted him on the head. "Heel. Good boy. Want a treat?"

Lelouch couldn't quite form a witty comeback, or any comeback at all, really. His knees felt weak and his mouth felt dry and, most of all, he was still uncertain if Cornelia was actually on the side of the revolutionaries or if she'd just pretended to be to get close to him. One thing was certain, however. As much as she still might have disliked him, there wasn't the desperate, all-important need to kill him or make him pay that she'd shown during the tour. Something had changed, and Lelouch doubted that her grief or anger had lessened all that much. If anything, the only explanation he could come up with was that most of it was no longer targeted at him.

Which left only the other viable target as Pendragon itself, including the Hunger Games and Charles zi Britannia.

So, logically, Gino had been telling the truth and Cornelia was an ally.

But Lelouch couldn't forget her cold eyes, the way she'd looked at him as if he was less than human. Even if Cornelia had turned most of that icy, murderous rage elsewhere, Lelouch had felt it. And he knew that if it were ever to be focused on him again, one of them wouldn't walk away from it. Cornelia was all-or-nothing in everything she did.

And she'd just pointed a sword at his throat.

"But she didn't kill you," Gino pointed out cheerfully, as if reading Lelouch's mind.

"Damned with faint praise," Lelouch returned dryly, still a little shaken, but recovering. "And there's always still the game itself. She'll have free rein there."

"Don't worry," Suzaku said darkly. "The other Tributes can do what they will, but we know now to keep an eye specifically on Cornelia and Guilford."

Gino whistled, long and low, clearly impressed. "Strategy? Didn't think you had it in you. Everyone knows that Lelouch is the brains of your outfit while you're the sexy, sexy brawn."

"Everyone knows a lot of things," Suzaku said darkly. "Not all of them are completely accurate." Gino laughed, sharp-edged, although the edge seemed turned more towards himself than anyone else.

Lelouch knew that feeling, the urge to laugh because he was in public and screaming was probably a bad idea. Suzaku's defensive snappishness was warranted, but if it affected Gino like that it was counterproductive.

"In any case, we should keep going," Lelouch reminded Suzaku. They'd planned, after confronting Cornelia, to go their separate ways and scope out the competition. Despite Gino's crass comment, Lelouch trusted Suzaku to make his own assessments of the other Tributes and determine if an alliance would be beneficial or if the conflicts would outweigh any potential advantage. They would work better apart, with everyone underestimating Suzaku's oddly perceptive instincts and focusing more on Lelouch's sharp-eyed insight.

Suzaku nodded and kissed Lelouch on the cheek, a gesture just possessive enough to remind Lelouch and everyone else (…Gino) of how everything stood.

Lelouch smiled at him as he went off and took a deep breath.

Here went nothing.


	9. Testing

"So how did it go?" Cecile asked carefully once Lelouch and Suzaku were back in their suite.

Suzaku shot a quick look at Lelouch before clearing his throat. "Um… it could've gone worse?"

Lelouch snorted. "You were nearly skewered from a beautifully executed 'training accident' and I almost acquired another stalker."

Cecile's eyes widened. "Maybe you should start from the beginning."

This time, Lelouch took the initiative and started describing the way Suzaku had been chatting with some of the other Tributes when he was basically ambushed by the Tribute from Area 7, Xingke. What had actually happened was actually quite simple, although the set-up with the cut down climbing vines and the spinning daggers and the punching bag as a counterweight was rather clever. If Suzaku hadn't moved out of the way with his freakishly good instincts and reflexes, he would certainly have been injured, and possibly killed if the blades had hit at the right angle.

Technically, there had been no contact between Tributes. It was unsurprising that the Victors knew ways around the rules of the training arena, but it was disheartening that Suzaku and Lelouch seemed to be their targets. Suzaku, annoyingly enough, had taken it much better than Lelouch had, actually laughing the moment he realized he was out of danger and shooting off a jaunty salute in Xingke's direction. Lelouch, meanwhile had to be physically restrained before he did something stupid.

That wasn't him. He wasn't the impulsive one who did stupid things. Well, not _usually_.

Even now, Suzaku was laughing, despite Lelouch's embellishments (or possibly because of them, as they made Suzaku out to be even more ridiculous than he actually had been) and Cecile's look of dawning horror. There was a reason she was Lelouch's favourite, and that reason was her level-headed practicality and ability to focus on what was important.

"You two really need to start making alliances if you keep getting bullied like that."

Bullied. That was one word for it, Lelouch supposed.

Suzaku, his eyes still shining with humour, nodded in agreement. "Oh, no worries about that! Lelouch has another admirer."

That didn't make Cecile look at all relieved. "Another Luciano?"

"Oh, no," Suzaku demurred, grinning, and Lelouch had to sit quiet and fume as Suzaku grandly recited the tale of the noble warrior Jeremiah of Area 6 and his overblown, ostentatious pledge of loyalty to the lovely Lelouch, the embodiment of his chivalric ideals.

Lelouch didn't really like thinking about it. Jeremiah had ambushed him out of nowhere, and Lelouch had momentarily thought that he was under attack. The man had literally prostrated himself at Lelouch's feet, claiming that Lelouch was everything a perfect princess should be, noble and loyal and brave. Lelouch's heart had still been racing from the suddenness of it all and Jeremiah, clearly just getting that, had responded by rising and offering to get him a glass of water.

And now Cecile was laughing too. Perhaps Suzaku was a more engaging storyteller, but perhaps the situation was just that hilarious.

"Did you accept the water?" Cecile asked. Lelouch refused to answer.

"No," Suzaku said. "But he was soon rescued by the other Tribute from Area 6–"

"Victor," Lelouch interrupted. "Call them, call _us_ , Victors. Don't let Pendragon take that away."

The amusement died in Suzaku's eyes and Lelouch felt vaguely guilty.

"Sorry, Lelouch. So the other Victor from Area 6, Villetta, she grabs Jeremiah and tells him to stop being such a damn fool. They went off with the pair from Area 9."

"Marika and Kewell," Lelouch said. "Siblings." The word tasted sour in his mouth, reminding him of Nunnally in the worst possible way. If she were here…

"Are you planning on joining them?" Cecile asked. "And perhaps Gino?"

An alliance of five. Six, probably, as Gino seemed to have some unreasonable attachment to Kirihara as well. It was a good number but, even if it worked out, what then? This was the Hunger Games. Alliances were meant to be short-lived and end in treachery. Even Luciano and Adriana had know that, in the end, if they were the last two standing, one of them would end up covered in the other's blood.

"The male Victor from Area 2 confronted me while you were fighting off Gino's rather enthusiastic embrace," Lelouch told Suzaku rather than answering Cecile's question directly. "He said that we had no idea what Area 2 was capable of just because we'd gone up against Luciano." Both Cecile and Suzaku were giving Lelouch their full attention now. "Luciano and Adriana were sacrifices. They were supposed to fail. The true Tributes were being saved for the Quell." Cecile's eyes widened as she realized what Lelouch was getting at. "That's why Areas 1 and 4 didn't have any volunteers. That's why Rolo…" Lelouch took a deep breath. "Last year was nothing. Every Area that could afford to sent sacrifices rather than potential Victors, waiting for this year. Of all the Victors here, we are the worst prepared, by far."

"I'm willing to give up if you are!" Suzaku said cheerfully. Lelouch glared at him, more than a little ticked off that he'd ruined Lelouch's grand speech. "What? It sounds pretty hopeless."

"The only thing we have going for us is our trust," Lelouch said. "I trust you implicitly, and you're kind of an idiot, so you trust me too. I can't say that for any of the other Victors."

Cecile stepped in. "Can you exploit that? Weaken the other alliances?" She sounded desperate, but Lelouch shook his head.

"There isn't a single Victor there who doesn't know what a snake I am, and they all see Suzaku as my pawn." Brains and brawn, Gino had called them. It wasn't exactly true – given the right tools, Lelouch could be as deadly as Suzaku, and Suzaku wasn't nearly as naïve and simple as he appeared to be. But it was close enough that scheming could be expected from Suzaku as well, under Lelouch's direction. "I don't think we can affect other people's alliances, but I don't want to weaken ours with other people we can't trust."

Suzaku nodded. "No alliances, then."

Lelouch took his hand. "Just us."

Cecile sighed. "At least that makes my job easier."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

It made Lelouch's job easier as well, at least for now. With the decisions made, he didn't have to test and trial the other Victors, or try to make nice with Gino (who was frankly wearying) or Jeremiah (who was frankly terrifying) or deal with Cornelia and her band of vicious killers which now included the creative and innovative Xingke. All he had to do was show up and let Suzaku lead him around to the stations he wanted to see. Lelouch did better at him at the plant identification, and Suzaku got his fire lit faster and Lelouch managed to convince Suzaku to accept a blowjob in the camouflage area, which he counted as a tie. After lunch, they gave up even that thin appearance of training and cuddled in the corner, watching the others run about and their petty rivalries.

High entertainment.

Lelouch shooed Gino away and Suzaku glared, fingering one of the smaller blades, when Jeremiah walked past. It was enough to dissuade them, although Gino's puppy-dog look of disappointment had a sharp edge to it. The more Lelouch learned about Gino, the more he realized how much was buried under that cheery exterior. It made him only more grateful that they weren't allying themselves with him.

Of course, by the time they were supposed to show the gamemakers their skills, Lelouch had no idea what to do. Suzaku, still toying with some of the throwing knives Luciano had favoured, just shrugged. "Why bother doing anything? It's not like anyone'll take a look at your score and think anything of it. You won last year with a 2."

"I suppose it's the principle of the thing," Lelouch said. "I don't like failing tests, even those designed to fail me."

Suzaku nodded and put his blades aside, settling against the wall and spreading his arms and legs for Lelouch to curl up in his lap. "How about some first aid? You're way better at it than I was during the last games, and you've only gotten better since."

"Difficult, without an injury to deal with," Lelouch said wryly. "I suppose I could ask one of the gamemakers to let me cut them, but I doubt I'd do a decent job on any of them."

Suzaku laughed, but it was dark and mean, nothing like his usual bright laughter. Lelouch curled up closer to him and stopped the conversation with a long, deep kiss that turned into several.

Lelouch had expected to wait at least a few minutes after Suzaku went in. There was weapon selection and preparation and the usual pressure of performing. When Suzaku stumbled out of the room, with two Peacekeepers on either side of him, handling him rather roughly, Lelouch knew something had happened. He moved towards Suzaku, and a third Peacekeeper stepped in his way.

"Wait right there, missy. They'll call you when it's your turn."

Several questions hovered on the tip of Lelouch's tongue. He met Suzaku's eyes and was unsurprised to see a faint apology there, only barely covered a satisfied resoluteness. He'd been a brash idiot again, and was only sorry that it might make Lelouch's life a little harder.

The Peacekeepers dragged him away and Lelouch was left alone, adrenaline racing through his veins, waiting with the Victors from Area 12.

"That poor boy. I wonder what he did," the female Victor mused to her companion.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," the male Victor assured her. "After all, it's the Peacekeeper's duty to keep everyone safe and sound."

Lelouch kind of wanted to scream, but that wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Lamperouge, you're up."

The gamemakers looked upset, so whatever Suzaku had done had made an impact. Lelouch looked casually around the room, searching for any signs of Suzaku's mischief. Everything looked well in place, neat and tidy, with no sign that Suzaku had ever been here other than the shaken gamemakers. Lelouch locked eyes with Schneizel, moving smoothly to the center of the room. Schneizel looked back with suppressed amusement, waiting for Lelouch to make his move.

Lelouch just shrugged. "Well, I'll admit that didn't turn out _exactly_ as I'd planned."

"You _told_ him to shoot at us?" one of the gamemakers asked incredulously.

That had been easier than Lelouch expected. "Only because I noticed the forcefield. I rather thought it would give you a thrill, make you feel as though you were truly part of the games." It was difficult to keep the loathing out of his voice, and the anger. Lelouch could completely sympathize with Suzaku for his actions, now that he knew what they were, but he was _furious_ with him for taking them and putting himself in that much risk. "I apologize, on Suzaku's behalf as well, if the joke was in rather poor taste."

There was some discontented mumbling until Schneizel stood and waved a hand, quieting everyone down. His aide, Kanon, stood and started descending the stairs, leaving the shielded area. Lelouch tensed, wondering what Schneizel was thinking.

"Are you truly sorry?" Schneizel asked casually. "Such a breech would normally have severe consequences. Suzaku is, of course, needed for the games, but he hardly needs to be at full strength."

Various things that could put Suzaku at less than 'full strength' ran through Lelouch's mind as Kanon sauntered towards him. "Are you truly sorry, Lelouch?" Kanon asked, echoing Schneizel. "Prove it."

His voice was placid, but it held a tone of command. Lelouch met his gaze and allowed all the pride and anger to drain away, trying to make it clear that he would do anything. The thought of what could be happening to Suzaku, even now, forced Lelouch's hand. He really would, at this point, do anything to keep Suzaku safe.

Kanon seemed to understand that, his limpid eyes flashing with dark amusement as he stopped in front of Lelouch. "Kneel." His voice was soft enough that it wouldn't be overheard, but it had that same steel in it as when he'd demanded Lelouch prove his remorse. Lelouch was grateful to the privacy of the orders as he obediently sank to his knees, bowing his head until Kanon stroked his fingers through Lelouch's hair, tilting his head up.

"You have his eyes," Kanon said, almost dreamily, although that faint command was still there. "You're too pale and your hair is far too dark, but… you have his eyes. This will be tolerable."

It didn't take Lelouch more than a second to understand what was being asked of him and, for a moment, he closed his eyes in a small gesture of defiance to get Kanon to tighten his grip, pulling Lelouch's hair. If he had to do this, Lelouch wanted it to be as uncomfortable and painful as possible. Suzaku had never, ever, pulled his hair.

"Can I use my hands?" Lelouch asked.

Kanon smiled, a little cruelly. "No."

The zipper was easy enough, although it actually echoed in the small room. Lelouch had a lot more trouble undoing the button with his lips and teeth, and by the time he was done, Kanon's cock was straining at his underwear. Lelouch didn't even bother moving them aside yet, tonguing and mouthing at the bulge in Kanon's pants until Kanon pulled his head away and yanked down his underwear himself, baring his erection to Lelouch's eyes and mouth.

Lelouch smirked, pleased at this small sign of weakness. Kanon groaned softly. "Yes, that… that's exactly how he'd look…"

Ah. Lelouch leaned forward and lapped lightly at the slit of Kanon's cock. "Is he watching?" Of course he was. Schneizel wasn't the sort of man who looked away from anything. "Then take me, use me like he'd never let you use him." The grip in Lelouch's hair tightened past the point of pain, and Lelouch made a soft pained sound, sure that he was losing hairs. Kanon swore softly beneath his breath and thrust his hips forward, taking Lelouch by surprise with the sudden force. He almost bit down reflexively, only barely managing to stop himself as he literally gagged on Kanon's cock. He couldn't breathe, but he clenched his fists and took it. He was better than this, better than they'd make him, and he was doing this for Suzaku. That made everything tolerable.

Lelouch could feel tears running down his cheeks, could feel his throat convulsing in spasms, his stomach roiling. He managed to look up into Kanon's face, under heavy eyelashes, and nearly winced at his greedy, hungry expression. It took Lelouch two more harsh thrusts to center himself enough to do anything but cry silently as Kanon fucked his mouth. He'd had worse. Not recently, as the only attention he'd had over the past few months had been Suzaku's, but he'd had far worse than one man seeing a shadow of his frustrating desire and taking it out on Lelouch. And, Lelouch flattered himself, he'd become rather good at oral sex over the past year. He wasn't just a passive receptacle anymore.

Kanon's gasping groan was surprisingly gratifying to Lelouch as he swallowed around Kanon's cock, bringing his tongue into play. It was always nice to know that his efforts were appreciated. Kanon pulled Lelouch's head back even more and Lelouch went willingly, keeping his gaze determinedly fixed on Kanon's face and letting his throat relax as Kanon pushed in even deeper. The edge of Kanon's undone zipper caught at the skin of Lelouch's chin, sharp but not quite painful, and Lelouch took advantage of the shock and let his throat hitch suddenly and Kanon's hips stuttered as he came, buried deep in Lelouch's throat.

The only sound apart from Lelouch's harsh, rasping gasps once Kanon's cock slipped, spent and soft, from his mouth, was Kanon's own sharp, fast breaths. Lelouch's throat felt like it was on fire, as well as sticky and coated with a thick liquid that continued to irritate his gag reflex. As soon as he could, Lelouch caught his breath and swallowed hard, ignoring the pain. "Please, I am…" His hair slid through Kanon's fingers as he moved back, bowing his head. "We know our places. Please, we're very sorry."

"Your heart-felt apology has moved us," Schneizel said. "Obviously, you simply weren't thinking clearly when you suggested such a disrespectful action to your partner. These games are a trying time for all of us, Lelouch, and I do hope that you're cognisant of the understanding and forgiveness that is being offered to you."

Lelouch bowed even lower, prostrating himself on the floor. "Thank you."

Kanon's hand gently lifted Lelouch up, until they were standing face-to-face, with nothing but a light flush on Kanon's cheeks showing any sign of what they'd done. "I'm glad I got you now, Lelouch. You seem to be a very limited time offer."

Lelouch smiled at him. "It doesn't matter how many whores you fuck, he's no closer to you than before."

"No, but it was still…" Kanon smiled back, the blandly charming smile of the help. "Fun."

For a moment, Lelouch was afraid that Kanon would try to kiss him. Fortunately, that moment passed and Lelouch was dismissed before the male Victor from Area 12 had his turn.

He went immediately to their suite and waited. Cecile wasn't there, probably doing whatever she could to get Suzaku released, and Lelouch fully expected that Schneizel would make sure he'd have to wait for Suzaku's freedom, wondering the whole time if anything was happening to him. The only comfort Lelouch took from that was that the likelihood was that Schneizel would decide to do nothing to Suzaku, in part so that he could meet the other Victors on a more even ground and give the audience a good show, in part to screw further with Lelouch's head. There wasn't much to do while waiting, other than wait, so Lelouch kicked off his shoes and curled up on the couch, finding that anxiety and utter powerlessness were just as good for clearing his mind as sex.

There were no plans to make, no schemes, nothing. Anything Lelouch could do would either make things worse or, more likely, have no effect at all. He stared at the wall and prepared to just wait.

It was by far the hardest thing he'd ever done for Suzaku.

About half an hour since he arrived in the room, he was startled out of his non-existent thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, far too small to be Suzaku's.

"I just heard," C.C. said solemnly. "You know you're both complete morons, right?"

Lelouch blinked at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Suzaku possibly less so. At least he knew what he wanted to target."

"Targets he could never hit!"

"And how was he supposed to know that?"

Lelouch gaped for a moment. Surely C.C. wasn't suggesting that this was _his_ fault for letting Suzaku go in there without knowing that there was a shield blocking the gamemakers from the Tributes. Was Lelouch seriously supposed to assume that Suzaku, when he had no idea what to do to impress the gamemakers, would resort to trying to kill them? It wasn't as though Suzaku had shared his brilliant strategy with Lelouch beforehand, which would have at least given Lelouch the opportunity to tell him what an idiotic idea it was.

C.C. shrugged. "If he had known, to be honest, I don't know that it would have stopped him."

"Of course it would have." The opportunity to kill several of the people whose job it was to torture them was appealing, Lelouch could see that, although he never would have risked Suzaku's life on it. But without that chance, why lash out when all it could do was cause trouble? Trouble that Lelouch would have to clean up. Suzaku might be thoughtless, but he surely wasn't that bad.

"Suzaku looked very gentle in the last games, only killing when he truly had no other choice, letting you take the morally questionable kills. He needed to change the perception of himself as someone who'll only fight an even battle to someone who will kill at any provocation. He needs to be taken seriously."

Lelouch just looked at C.C. "Perhaps. But that's not why he did it. Suzaku's not that clever." C.C. settled next to Lelouch and took his hand. "He really just wanted to kill them, and he was willing to take the consequences of that, even if it meant leaving me alone." Lelouch's gaze settled on the wall, becoming vague again. "Because that was the last chance he had to strike a blow for what was right. And Suzaku will always try to do what's right, no matter how much it costs him and the people he loves."

That was something Lelouch admired about him. And it was nice that Suzaku was, for once, on the same page as him as to what was right – fighting against Pendragon. But it still hurt that Suzaku had made that choice over staying with Lelouch.

They sat together in silence as supper was served and went cold without anyone to eat any of it. The rankings were announced and Lelouch didn't even bother checking. It was a few hours before dawn when the door finally opened, and Cecile led a quiet and visibly bruised Suzaku into the suite.

Lelouch didn't jump up, didn't even turn. "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing much," Suzaku said dully. "I'll be fine in the morning."

"Nothing much?" Cecile asked angrily. "They had the Tributes from Areas 6 and 9 beat him up! And they did so, willingly."

6 and 9. Jeremiah, Villetta, Kewell, Marika. Marika was one of the Victors who'd won by being sly and clever rather than strong, but the other three could pack quite a punch. And it looked like they had, on Suzaku.

"The medics fixed me up. Really, it's fine." Suzaku walked up to Lelouch, kneeing in front of him. "What about you? Do I have to ask how I got off so lightly?"

"I apologized for you," Lelouch said. "I told them it was a prank and that you knew about the shielding all along. Did you use the bow and arrow?"

"Nah. Couldn't have gotten off enough shots, I'm not that good. I just used the throwing knives."

"I see." Lelouch stood up. "I'm going to bed. Big day tomorrow."

"Lelouch!" Suzaku called out, grabbing his arm. Lelouch froze but didn't turn to look at Suzaku. He'd seen enough of the bruises already. Suzaku's grip faltered. "I… uh…"

Lelouch gently pulled away and made his way to the bedroom. Just before he opened the door, Suzaku tried again.

"Can I come with you?"

He almost wanted to say no, to exile Suzaku to his own, unused, room in punishment for putting Lelouch through all the worrying and waiting. But he'd just had Kanon's cock down his throat, drank him down against his will, and he wanted something to clean that away.

"Of course, Suzaku," Lelouch purred, tossing a sharp smile over his shoulder as he opened the door to his (their) room. "But best hurry up. We only have a few hours."

He caught a reflection of Suzaku looking anxiously at Cecile and her helpless shrug before the door closed behind him. As confused as they might have been, it didn't take Suzaku long to decide on his plan of action, and follow Lelouch in. The moment the door was closed behind him, Lelouch shoved him back onto the bed and started working at opening and pulling down his pants.

"H-hey!" Suzaku protested weakly. "I'm a little tender here!"

Lelouch reared up and kissed him, all demanding tongue and teeth and that, at least, Suzaku seemed to expect, giving back as good as he got.

"You're an idiot and a fool, but you're _mine_ ," Lelouch growled. "And I will have this from you, Suzaku."

"Oh." Suzaku looked stunned, a little shocked, and more aroused than Lelouch could ever remember seeing him without actually being moments away from orgasm. "Oh, yes, Lelouch." His fingers threaded through Lelouch's hair as Lelouch moved down his body, biting him through the thin clothes they wore in the training arena, paying special attention to where they'd ripped and torn from Suzaku's attackers, finally ending up where he most wanted to be, mouthing and biting at Suzaku through the cloth of his pants.

Suzaku cried out and came before Lelouch could even get him free. After all they'd done together, after everything Lelouch had tried to make Suzaku come undone, this was astonishingly gratifying. Lelouch smiled hungrily at him as he pulled Suzaku's pants down his unresisting hips, licking him clean. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Oh," Suzaku said again, his voice wavering but oddly just as hungry as Lelouch's. "Good."

Lelouch yanked off his own pants, soon followed by his shirt and covered Suzaku's body with his own, his breath catching as Suzaku opened himself beautifully under him. In another life, in another time, perhaps…

But their relationship had always been one way, and this wasn't the time to change. Lelouch kissed and teased at Suzaku until he got hard again and rode him until they both came, crying each other's names. Every inch of Lelouch was once again Suzaku's, with Kanon's taint erased completely.

Lelouch smiled. That was how he wanted to go. As Suzaku's.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep. The interviews were today and, as this was their last opportunity to get any messages back out to Area 11, Lelouch had actually planned to prepare something. But something about the way Suzaku had held him after they'd spent themselves, with warmth and tenderness and none of the desperation and fear that Lelouch had felt, had lulled Lelouch to sleep. He only realized it when he woke to gentle lips on his shoulder and a soft caress over his hip.

"Morning." Suzaku's lips moved from Lelouch's shoulder to his neck. "Sleep well?"

They'd only gotten a few hours, but they were a good few hours. "Mmm." Lelouch started to turn over, but Suzaku's strong arm stopped him.

"Don't get up just yet." Suzaku moulded his body around Lelouch's, pressing close, skin to skin, everywhere he could. "You were amazing last night."

Lelouch frowned, despite the warm, safe feeling of being held in Suzaku's arms again. "How so?" They'd only gone two rounds; well, three for Suzaku, if the quick and dirty blowjob counted. That wasn't anything special for them.

"You don't do it much," Suzaku said a little haltingly. "But when you decide to take control, it's…"

Lelouch's cock twitched almost uncomfortably at that, against his own will. He remembered how badly he'd wanted to take more than control, and how hard it had been to stop himself, to continue being Suzaku's rather than force it the other way around. He grimaced; if Suzaku knew what Lelouch had wanted to do to him, would he be as approving of Lelouch's take-charge impulses?

Likely not. Suzaku let Lelouch go, but Lelouch remained turned away from him.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Suzaku leaned over and kissed Lelouch's cheek. "Stay here," he ordered as he jumped up and threw on some clothes.

Lelouch remained in bed as Suzaku left, trying and failing to regret how he'd felt and what he'd done. As long as Suzaku had no idea, everything was safe, protected. It wasn't as if they had a long future together where they'd have to discuss these new urges of Lelouch's, and Lelouch was certain he could keep them repressed until the games were over or until… until it wasn't an issue anymore.

All Lelouch could hope for, realistically, was to hang around long enough to ensure Suzaku's safety. It wasn't that different from his plans last time, but this time he'd tied his fate pretty inextricably to Suzaku's. There would be no toying with the other Victors, or the feelings of the sponsors. It just wasn't believable anymore. Lelouch was Suzaku's; everyone knew that.

It felt nice to reaffirm that. The games were no longer Lelouch's main concern. They were a fixed unknown, there was nothing significant he could do to change things. His concern now lay with Area 11 and their choices. He wouldn't be back to protect Nunnally, and even Suzaku making it out of the games was a long shot this time. They needed to clear out, and sooner rather than later. The Pendragon media would be almost done with the first round of interviews now, and this was a lull that they could take advantage of.

"Okay, close your eyes," Suzaku called out from just behind the door, distracting Lelouch from his thoughts with a bright and cheerful order. Lelouch smiled to himself, pleased beyond all measure that he and Suzaku were falling back into their previous relationship pattern.

"They're closed," Lelouch said, and even closed his eyes to make it the truth. "Go ahead." He thought better during sex anyways, and it was always a treat when Suzaku planned something special.

The bed dipped lightly on either side of him, and then Suzaku's war weight settled against his side, soft lips pressing against Lelouch's cheek, slightly sticky and smelling of warm chocolate. "You can open them now."

The sight that greeted Lelouch made him smile, despite a small rush of disappointment that this wasn't going to be sex. "Breakfast… in bed?"

"I know! It's a super brilliant idea that I just came up with and is obviously a thing because they have an actual tray just for it." Suzaku grinned. "Eat the hot stuff first, before it cools off."

Lelouch took a few strips of bacon and layered them on a buttered piece of toast. "The bed is going to be a disaster after this."

"We'll just use the other room," Suzaku said cheerily. "There's just one more night left, after all."

One more night, and then… Lelouch leaned into Suzaku and kissed him, lingering in the taste of him and hot chocolate. "It's very thoughtful. Thanks."

Suzaku smiled and the last thing on their minds was hot food as they sank back into the pillows and just took their time together.


	10. The Island

"You were supposed to be at your fittings an hour ago."

Lelouch looked up from where his head was pillowed against Suzaku's chest, sweaty and sated and uncomfortably sticky and loving it. "Ah. Is it that late already?"

C.C. was looking over the room, her face set in a rare expression, one of distaste. Lelouch didn't have to raise his head to know what she was looking at like that – the breakfast dishes and crumbs were scattered over the floor by the bed where they'd fallen after Lelouch had (almost) finished eating. A few hours after that, Suzaku had suggested using various objects in the room to make things more… interesting. The mess of various crumpled and twisted and even ripped clothes, as well as some toiletries and two hairbrushes made the room look like a complete disaster.

Suzaku sniggered, the vibrations running through Lelouch's body. "You look like you ate something sour."

"I like sour things," C.C. said blandly, her tone as expressive as her face; mild but clearly disgusted. "Either way; get up, get showered, and get fitted in your outfits. We brought them to you since you couldn't be bothered to come to us."

"Yes, C.C." Dressing up in one of C.C.'s ridiculous outfits was close to the last thing Lelouch wanted to do (apart from riding Suzaku while blindfolded with one of Suzaku's shirts; that hadn't been nearly as much fun as it sounded) but it had to be borne if he wanted to get a message to Lloyd and Kallen. Suzaku groaned in protest, but let Lelouch up after only a short kiss and followed him obediently to the shower.

They showered quickly after they found themselves physically able to do anything more than fool around. Suzaku laughed into Lelouch's shoulder. "I guess there _is_ such a thing as too much sex."

"Huh." Lelouch gave up trying and grabbed at the shampoo to lather up Suzaku's hair. "Learn something new every day."

Normally, they tried on their costumes separately, each with their own designer, each with their own, usually matching, design. Not this time.

"What is the meaning of this, C.C.?"

"You don't like it?" C.C. asked innocently, knowing full well that wasn't the issue. "Too bad. There isn't enough time to make any alterations."

The outfits were identical, from the complicated mask that covered their entire heads to the overdramatic cape and ridiculous cravat to the oddly sexy heeled boots. Suzaku bit his lip, his eyes dancing with amusement and something else darker and deeper as he looked between the costumes and Lelouch.

"You don't have time for that," C.C. said. "But you can keep them after the interviews if you like."

"I'd like that," Suzaku said a little too quickly, making Lelouch snort. "What? Tell me you're not imagining those boots wrapped around your feet, flung over my shoulders, that cape fluttering around us…"

"That mask covering your ugly mug," Lelouch added, grinning insouciantly as Suzaku lightly punched his shoulder. "How are they even supposed to tell us apart?"

C.C. shrugged. "Not my problem. My problem is designing something that looks attractive and remarkable at the same time. Every other issue is up to you two."

There was a purpose to this. Everything C.C. had done, recently, had a purpose behind it. Of course, sometimes that purpose was just lightening the mood or outright irritating Lelouch, but this seemed rather more organized than that. Like the embarrassing parody of the seductive and intriguing outfits that the Tributes usually wore, this was more than mere cloth and design. There was a point.

They fit perfectly, which wasn't a surprise. They were also comfortable which, given their design, was. The mask wasn't that heavy, and the cape worked well as a counterweight, making it easy to stand tall and strong, drawing their shoulders back. It took Lelouch a few tries in front of a mirror, but soon he was using the cape to accent grand, dramatic gestures. Suzaku laughed, the mask making the sound echo sinisterly, and Lelouch shivered with something both less and more than mere fear. The image that Suzaku had put into his head, that of Lelouch's booted legs up in the air as Suzaku pounded into him, suddenly became a lot more attractive.

"Keep it down, you're going on stage in about an hour," C.C. suggested.

Lelouch blushed behind the mask, embarrassed at being caught, but his voice was steady and resonant, sounding unshaken. "It wouldn't take more than a few minutes."

C.C. shook her head. "That's not what you need to be doing, though." She reached up and touched the side of Lelouch's mask in a gesture that was almost tender. "You need to be shrugging off the Lelouch who simpers and blushes and spreads his legs. You need to be the Lelouch who plots and orders and manipulates. You need to be your true self, in front of Britannia and in sight of your family, and you need to be remembered as the true Lelouch."

Lelouch swallowed. "That… it's too risky…"

"It's necessary," C.C. said. "You may think it doesn't matter how you go out there, but that's the _only_ thing that matters now. And after what Suzaku pulled, there isn't a single risk you can take that will make you more of a target than you already are."

While that was true enough, the girly persona Lelouch put on in public was more than just following orders. It was a comfort, giving him a sense of security and a kind of script to follow, as well as satisfaction at fooling those who would have cheered at his death. If he went up there as himself he would be more naked than when he'd gone up dressed as a bellydancer.

Although the mask would help. Perhaps that was one of the reasons for it.

"Hey, C.C.?" Suzaku interrupted. "What's this for?" He pointed to the left side of his chest, the same place that the Suzaku pin sat on Lelouch's costume. On Suzaku's, there was a winged emblem of what looked like a blue sword lined in gold.

"Euphy's…" Lelouch actually felt his heart lurch in his chest. "C.C., what the hell are you thinking?"

"You've both lost enough. They're just tokens, but they work as reminders, at least."

Suzaku's face was hidden behind his mask, but his fingers gentled from pointing to caressing the small emblem. Lelouch wanted to grab that hand, hold it in his own and try to soothe away the hurt he knew was there, but the unfortunate symbolism of taking Suzaku away from Euphemia's token could only make matters worse.

But the reminder of their losses, and of what they still had to lose back home, was enough to firm Lelouch's resolve.

"Come on. We should get moving."

Suzaku looked up at Lelouch's commanding voice, his mask completely blank, but his body language radiating strong obedience as he nodded once, sharply.

And, even though it was a bit of a drive and the mask's visibility was less than perfect, they remained in full costume all the way to the stage, where they were the last to arrive.

Lelouch gripped Suzaku's hand. "Follow my lead."

"Always."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Cornelia spoke of Euphemia.

Lelouch hadn't expected that. Neither, apparently, did the audience or Diethard, who did his best to derail Cornelia from her chosen topic. But she simply ignored him, patiently and carefully painting a picture of a gentle, clever girl who constantly went out of her way to help others. How she would have been happy that the boy she befriended made it out of the games. How grieved she would have been that he had to return.

It shook the Area 2 Victors out of their violent and vindictive personas and they looked confused and a little lost when it was their turn. Area 3's first tribute, Ougi Kaname, fared better, but only because he took the theme of Cornelia's nostalgic remembrance and talked about his best friend who had been a Tribute a few years before Ougi, who had died in the arena protecting a girl from Area 6 who, Ougi said, had strongly resembled his little sister.

Rakshata, the other Area 3 Victor, changed the tone somewhat, and talked about her time in Pendragon. How she was amazed at the civility and grace of the city, and how much each Victor present had given to the people of Pendragon, and how much they'd received in return. Gino, who followed her, nearly cried, tears shining in his too-blue eyes, speaking of how grateful he was to everyone in Pendragon and how much he loved them. The audience went crazy and Kirihara's interview was cut short.

Most of the other Victors had something like that, something personal and touching to say. Xingke, when it was his turn, asked if there was any way for this to change. After all, the Emperor was all-powerful, couldn't he just put a stop to all this nonsense before it hurt more people, broke more hearts. For such an arrogant bastard, he knew how to turn on the charm, and the audience sobbed until Marika and Kewell took to the stage, together, holding hands and talking about how the people of Pendragon were a part of their family and didn't the Emperor _care_?

That was the first time the tears in the audience turned into something else. Calls for change, calls for reconsideration. Almost treasonous sentiments coming from the people of Pendragon, and from those who were the richest and most prestigious, that they could afford to be in the audience for the Quarter Quell. Those who had the most to lose and the least to gain from change were calling for it, because some trumped-up Numbers had asked for it, eloquently and passionately.

And that, Lelouch realized, was Pendragon's true privilege. To sit back and enjoy the spoils of the subjugation of other people and then to call for change the moment it negatively affected them. Where were they when children were being sent to their deaths? Where were they when a particularly bad year meant hundreds dying of starvation? They had absolutely no concept of the scale of change needed and yet, the moment they stood to lose some small amusement, they clamoured for it.

After the Area 10 Victors had their say, Suzaku moved to take his place. Lelouch grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together, the leather of the gloves making it difficult to grip properly, but the image was all they needed. Suzaku hesitated and Lelouch squeezed. "Just follow my lead."

It was amazing how Suzaku relaxed at that, all the tension easing away and his posture changing from uncertain to reassured, his shoulders thrown back, his chin elevated, and his grip firm. Lelouch mirrored him as best he could and they approached Diethard at the center of the stage.

The audience's cries died down under their confusion. The previous Victors had all been dressed in elegant outfits, far more appropriate than the costumes they'd worn for the parade. Clearly, the stylists had taken age-appropriateness into consideration and moved away from fabrics and colours that looked good on children.

Lelouch and Suzaku looked out of place, in part because they didn't look like Lelouch and Suzaku. Anyone could be behind that mask. After the personal calls and pleas from the other Victors, it was a sudden and abrupt change.

But, as opposed to the other Victors, neither Lelouch nor Suzaku had made any connections in Pendragon. Their love story was the current social theme, but they themselves weren't known. Anyone could have been in their place, could have taken their parts in the story, and the people of Pendragon would have acted the same.

Diethard, for the first time since Area 2, sensed the opportunity to take back control. "Area 11, standing together against all comers as usual, eh?" Thiers was a love that kept them separate, rather than uniting. It was a chance to put some needed distance between the Victors and the people of Pendragon. Already, the audience was watching them instead of being _with_ them. All the ground the other Victors had achieved was fast disappearing. Lelouch needed to make it up, and he needed to make it up _fast_.

"No, Mr. Reed, that's not it at all," Lelouch said, somewhat impressed at how low and even his voice sounded, the mask giving it additional resonance and depth. "We're not alone. People stand with us or fear us as they see fit. We are opposed to everything sick and wrong with the way this nation is run, to the odds that are in no one's favour, the weapon in hands otherwise devoid of weapons to wield, in Pendragon or in the Areas. We are the shields against the one-sided 'battles' fought only to increase the established power imbalance, against thoughtless cruelty and incidental destruction and murder. We represent those who would fight and die to protect the weak, and who would risk their lives for something greater. We strike out against those who sit comfortably at home while others fight their battles and reap the rewards without paying any of the cost. Death is a two-sided sword, and the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed."

The silence felt palpable, thick, after Lelouch's words. At his side, Suzaku stepped up, his free hand holding Euphy's emblem.

"We are the fairness in the system. We are the chance most of the _children_ who come to the Hunger Games have. We are the hope that the Numbers have in this world. And, frankly, we are the fucks all of you collectively give.

"We. Are. Zero."

Their steps echoed as the walked past Diethard, C.C.'s costume not only visually impressive, but aurally stunning as well. Diethard watched them with wide eyes and lips parted in horror. The male Tribute from Area 12 poked his head around the corner. "Is it our turn yet?"

"I… I think we'll cut to a commercial break," Diethard said weakly. Lelouch looked over his shoulder, smug at catching the usually suave and controlling interviewer off-guard to the point that he needed to retreat, even past the point the other Victors had driven him too. Diethard was talking furiously into his microphone, gesturing frantically with his hands and looking every inch out of control.

Except his expression with was a sort of self-congratulatory satisfaction. It was the sort of expression that would normally be followed by a smirk or a wink, but Lelouch turned away, not wanting to see anything like that.

It was unnerving, to have gone through all that and leave not knowing if it hadn't been one huge tactical error.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

"They're already gone, I'm sure of it," Suzaku whispered into the back of Lelouch's neck as they lay, not sleeping, that night. "Lloyd's no fool and they'll want to clean up the mess here first."

Lelouch wanted to believe him. He and Kallen had run through scenario after scenario and she had everything in place to get Milly, Nunnally, and Marianne out of the fenced areas within minutes. They'd run drills and set up preparations and had even set up an extra wheelchair at the meeting point in case they had to leave Nunnally's behind. It would take time for the Peacekeepers to gather anything together, and they'd only start putting anything into motion once Pendragon thought of them.

And it wasn't Area 11 that Pendragon (or the Emperor, really) would want to punish. It was Lelouch and Suzaku themselves. And that could be done far more directly tomorrow. Even now, perhaps, the Emperor's minions were plotting with Cornelia and Guilford, or the Victors from Area 2, or any of the others who would be willing to take on Area 11 in return for an advantage. They'd been all high-minded at the interviews, but Lelouch knew full well how these people thought, and the games would be no less violent or deadly than before simply because the Tributes knew each other.

These were all Victors. That meant that they'd run the gauntlet and hadn't backed away from doing what needed to be done to win.

"I didn't get much sleep last year either," Suzaku said after Lelouch didn't answer him. "When you were off with Luciano…"

"I'm sorry about that," Lelouch said softly. "I should have trusted you."

Suzaku shifted, wrapping his arms tighter around Lelouch's middle. "I don't see why. I didn't give you much reason to think I'd listen to you and trust you back. And we were working against each other, in a way."

Lelouch nodded. "Fair enough. It's a good thing that's not happening this time."

Suzaku didn't say anything for a long moment and Lelouch has almost allowed himself to go to sleep when Suzaku's voice came again.

"You're going to do the stupid suicidal protection thing again, aren't you?"

Lelouch smiled. "Suzaku, we're targets. It doesn't matter who goes first, we're both going down. The only difference is that if I buy you a few moments you can use them, whereas if you buy me a few moments, all that changes is how long I get to anticipate my imminent death."

"That's not–"

"That's exactly it." Lelouch rolled over, looking Suzaku directly in the eyes in the dim light of the room. "And you know it, you just don't like it." Suzaku looked away, and Lelouch gently pulled his chin up until they were eye-to-eye again. "This is something I need from you, love. I need to know that you'll take that chance and do what you can with it. For me, for Nunnally, for Area 11. I need you to live, as long as you can, no matter what. Understood?"

Suzaku nodded, looking miserable. "I understand."

"Good." Lelouch kissed him and pushed him back, straddling him with the comfort of familiarity. "Since we're not going to get any sleep tonight in any case…"

The miserable expression on Suzaku's face softened into affection, but there was none of the passion and desire Lelouch was used to seeing. "Seems like a good idea." His hands smoothed up Lelouch's thighs and pushed his shirt off, quickly followed by his pants, then Suzaku's clothes. The sex was good, as usual, with Suzaku responding and taking care to be considerate to Lelouch's needs as well, but Lelouch couldn't help but feel as if Suzaku was humouring him, allowing him this because he felt that Lelouch wanted it more than he did.

Not that Suzaku didn't enjoy himself, if the moans and cries and stickiness between Lelouch's thighs was any proof, but as Lelouch collapsed against him, and Suzaku wrapped them both in the sheets, Lelouch had the very odd feeling that _this_ was what Suzaku had hoped for, rather than the sex itself.

Not that it mattered. A gentle kiss to his forehead and warm arms wrapping around his shoulders and Lelouch fell into a dreamless sleep, preparing for anything from an unfair layout to minor injuries before the games started.

It probably wouldn't help, but the more scenarios Lelouch could prepare for the better.

His mind picked up from where it left off when he woke up the next morning, plotting even as he ate sparingly at breakfast, sipping at his hot chocolate pensively.

This would be the last time he had hot chocolate. That thought, more than anything else strangely enough, brought the reality home. He was going to die, for real this time. The only thing he could reliably hope for was to selfishly keep Suzaku around long enough to avenge his death and maybe, ultimately, to return to protect Nunnally.

And the only way to do that was to ensure that Suzaku was prepared.

"Did you get all that?"

"…yes?"

"Go over it again."

Suzaku sighed. "Area 1 because of Cornelia, Area 2 because they're vicious, Area 7 because of Xingke who, for whatever reason, has it out for me, and Areas 6 and 9 because they've clearly allied together and I may have pissed Jeremiah off by marking my territory like a deranged alpha male."

"…I never said 'deranged'."

"You didn't have to." Suzaku kissed Lelouch's cheek. "Lelouch, I'm as prepared as anyone can be. I'll find you as soon as we're allowed to move and we'll work this out. Together."

Lelouch nodded. "I'll see you there." The hovercrafts flew over and they shared one last kiss before they each boarded their own plane. It had a very different feel from the year before, and yet everything was the same, from the woman injecting the tracking device, to the bland, unisex outfit in the same unattractive shade of off-grey. This time, it was a tight jumpsuit with a garish yellow belt and a sheer hooded shirt. Overall, it looked like it would provide no protection against cold or wind or anything, really. It also looked nearly impossible to get on.

"There are clasps at the shoulders," C.C. said from over Lelouch's shoulder, making him jump. "It's a one-piece, so you just step into it."

"What are you doing here?"

C.C. shrugged. "They told me to make sure you got dressed in time. As your stylist, it's kind of my job, despite the fact that they outlawed tokens this year."

As true as that may have been, this was too big a change from last year not to set Lelouch's teeth on edge. He stepped into the suit as C.C. instructed and shrugged on the shirt. "Is that it?"

"Pretty much." C.C. looked him over. "It'll be hard to convince anyone you're a girl in that."

"That was last year's strategy. This year I'm playing something different." Lelouch smiled as C.C.'s mildly curious look. "Prey."

A flash of disappointment, and then the usual emotionless mask settled over C.C.'s face. "I'm sure you have everything planned out."

"That I do," Lelouch said. The pilot's voice rang out, counting down the landing. Lelouch stepped onto the plate that would lower him down to the arena. "I suppose this is goodbye."

C.C. just watched him as the countdown continued, the silence oddly comfortable between then. As the pilot reached ten, Lelouch closed his eyes, bracing himself, and suddenly a warm body slammed into his, C.C. winding her arms around Lelouch's neck and pulling him down for a deep kiss. Lelouch might have struggled, but his instincts were very poor when it came to fighting off unwanted sexual advances, and he kissed back reflexively, nearly choking as C.C.'s tongue roughly pushed something sharp and metallic into his mouth. It lasted exactly four seconds (according to the countdown) and then C.C. was pulled away by two Peacekeepers who had appeared out of essentially nowhere and grabbed her roughly, forcing her to the floor.

The last thing Lelouch saw and heard as he was raised up to the arena, was the sharp sound of a gun firing and blood.

So much blood.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Lelouch stared out over the waves that surrounded him, at the distant beach with its shining cornucopia, at the other Victors standing at even intervals around him and wondered if this was what it was like being in shock, and how he'd managed to succumb to it after everything else he'd already been through.

C.C. was of Pendragon. Like Cecile, she was supposed to be safe, untouchable. Lelouch hadn't given a single thought or worry about her, focusing on Suzaku and everyone back home. It wasn't the violence, Lelouch was used to that by now. It was the unexpectedness, the surprise. But there was no denying it had happened; the phoenix pin, his and Suzaku's token, sat in his hand, still gleaming with his and C.C.'s saliva which would have been grosser if Lelouch couldn't have still seen, in his mind's eye, more repugnant bodily fluids seeping out from C.C.'s body, pooling on the floor beneath her…

Her corpse. Lelouch felt a tear track down his cheek. C.C. was dead.

"Let the seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!"

Schneizel's voice only made Lelouch flinch. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few of the Victors dive into the water. His mind idly played with the fact that Area 4 and, to a lesser extent, Areas 1 and 3, would have an advantage here. Most of the Areas only had enough water for irrigation and drinking. Only in those Areas was swimming possible, and only in Area 4 was it essentially mandatory.

Lelouch couldn't swim. He was dead before the games even started. Ah well, at least it was warm.

As far as Lelouch could see from his vantage point, most of the Victors were as hesitant as he was, standing or easing themselves into the water rather than jumping headfirst into the unknown. He could only see about two thirds of them, the other third hidden on the other side of the island. Lelouch sat down and let the water lap at his feet as he watched the first few fights break out on the land. He was too far away to smell the blood and guts this time, thank goodness, but he could still hear the screams.

They were generally less high-pitched than those of the children who'd died last year.

A flash of golden hair caught Lelouch's eye and he smiled as he watched Gino cut down one of the older Victors, looking like a young hero in his full power and glory. Cornelia and Guilford, having made the island just after Gino, were moving towards him, out of his line of sight, and Lelouch felt a momentary regret that Gino would be cut down so early.

And then a hand grabbed Gino's shoulder and pulled him down and away, dragging him under cover and into a more defensible position. It looked far less impressive, but it was a better idea, tactically. Lelouch continued scanning the island, looking for Suzaku.

Just then, something grabbed his ankle.

Visions of sharks and whales and giant squid and other animals Lelouch had only ever learned about for the Hunger Games shot through his head and he screamed. Quietly. It was more of a shriek, really. The thing holding his leg laughed breathily.

"The princess doesn't like being startled?"

Of all of the ideas flying through Lelouch's head, the last thing he'd expected was Kirihara, the old man from Area 4 who'd dressed up like a woman to volunteer to participate in these games against people who were stronger, faster, and even smarter than he was. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Playing fetch. You can't sit there all day and the longer you wait the longer you give those who survive the opportunity to find and use long-range weapons."

Lelouch snorted. "A waste of ammo. I can't get there from here, so what does it matter if I'm shot or if I die of starvation?"

"You'd die of dehydration first," Kirihara said helpfully. Lelouch snorted in disbelief – he was _surrounded_ by water. Kirihara just rolled his eyes. "Either way, genius, your belt acts as a flotation device. Get in the water and I'll help steer you to shore."

Even when Kirihara demonstrated the truth of that, raising his arms out of the water and just passively floating there, Lelouch hesitated. There was no reason for Kirihara to help him. They hadn't even spoken once.

Of course, the other alternative was sitting in the middle of the ocean and starving to death. (The very idea of dying of thirst made no sense, but why would Kirihara lie about that? This was more confusing than a simple offer of assistance should have been.)

Lelouch eased off the plate and into the water, panicking a little even as he bobbed safely up and down, never even getting his shoulders wet. "This… how… how do I move?"

Kirihara looked at him impatiently. "Just kick your hands and push against the water. It's not that hard."

"Easy for you to say. You've been doing this longer than Charles has been the Emperor." Kirihara wheezed another laugh at that as Lelouch tried to do what he was told and ended up nearly flipping himself over.

"Oh, for…" Kirihara grabbed Lelouch's belt and pulled, settling into a comfortable side crawl that looked ridiculously simple and moved them through the water smoothly and easily. It was a little exhilarating, and a little scary, as Lelouch tried to mimic Kirihara's position and swallowed enough salt water that he finally clued into how someone could die of thirst in the middle of an ocean. His tongue felt like it had grown a layer of fur.

Despite the fact that Kirihara had done almost all of the work, Lelouch's legs were unsteady as he pulled himself up onto the shore. He'd expected more mockery, but instead Kirihara yanked impatiently at his arm. "Hurry up, princess. No time to get your land legs back, we're a perfect target here."

Of course. He might have seemed like a foolish old man, but he was a Victor of the Hunger Games and, until Gino had come along, had been a mentor for decades. Part of Lelouch wanted to curl up and just let the inevitable happen, but most of him wanted to, was _desperate_ to, see Suzaku again.

He got up and got under cover. Kirihara pressed him down and peered over his shoulder, using his body to provide further coverage. Lelouch would have felt resentful of that, but even he could admit that it was probably necessary.

"We have to rendez-vous with Suzaku."

"Hush, boy," Kirihara snapped, and Lelouch did. He felt so out of his element and, without an ultimate plan as he'd had with Luciano, there was nothing for him to leverage. Nothing was more important than Suzaku, than getting back to him, but to do that Lelouch needed to survive and he had no idea how to do that on his own. He had to trust Kirihara.

At least until he didn't anymore.

Kirihara's grip tightened on Lelouch's shoulder just as something (or some things) came crashing through the brush in front of them. Lelouch struggled, instinctively trying to get away, and suddenly all the weight and pressure on him was gone and he was being scooped up into someone else's arms, held tightly as his name was repeated over and over and over again, piercing through his panic and terror.

"Su… zaku?"

"Yeah, babe, it's me, you're safe." Suzaku's grip shifted from restraining Lelouch's struggles to hold him in a tight embrace. "When I couldn't see you, I–"

Lelouch, his heart still racing, turned in Suzaku's arms and managed to somehow push him down, sprawling on top of him and kissing every since inch of skin he could find as Suzaku kept trying to _talk_ , the utter moron. He was here – _they_ were here, together, and everything was perfect. It couldn't stay that way, but for just a moment…

"We should move. Lelouch wasn't the last off the plates, but there are more people on the island than off."

Lelouch snarled at Gino's voice, still caught up in the adrenaline and relief of finding Suzaku. Suzaku, for his part, laughed and stroked Lelouch's hair as if he was a wild animal in need of soothing.

"C'mon, Lelouch. Let's get you as safe as possible."

There were still sounds of fighting, but mostly they'd died off, along with many of the Victors, Lelouch suspected. Suzaku pressed a small brace of daggers, nestled in a chest harness, into Lelouch's arms. He was armed with two short swords, a crossbow, and a smile filled with the same relief Lelouch felt. Over his shoulder, Lelouch could see Gino with his trident, tossing a long, thin, slightly curved blade to Kirihara who caught it like he knew what he was doing.

Lelouch swallowed against the fear of losing Suzaku again, he'd have to get over that and soon, and nodded. "Lead the way."


	11. The Games

Kirihara was the one who actually led them, moving quickly for such an old man and occasionally sniffing the air. Suzaku sidled closer to Gino and Lelouch let him, willing to let Suzaku drift from his touch as long as he stayed in sight. Suzaku seemed willing to let the evidence of his ears convince him that Lelouch was tromping noisily behind them, but he moved much quieter and had better senses. Lelouch trusted only his eyes.

"What's he doing?" Suzaku asked.

Gino never looked away from his organized scanning of the surrounding area. "Searching for fresh water."

"With his nose?"

Gino grinned, easy and carefree and false. "Trust me, with the ocean right there, scent is the best way to manage this."

Suzaku shrugged and accepted that, following a pattern of his own as his eyes peered through the heavy foliage. Lelouch felt wet and useless and already tired. "There are trees everywhere. Don't they have to get water from somewhere?"

"Not if they were just replanted here for the games," Gino said. "But I doubt that watching us die of thirst is how the Quarter Quell is supposed to end."

A few hours and several miles later, Lelouch was starting to doubt that. "How is there no water?"

"Keep your voice down," Gino snapped, stopping abruptly. He and Suzaku stood back-to-back for a long moment, listening and looking and Lelouch felt like an idiot for complaining so loudly and more so for the twinge of jealousy that didn't even make any sense.

Suzaku relaxed first; then Gino. Kirihara shrugged. "She has a point. We should have at least seen signs of an underground stream by now. I can't smell anything but the surrounding moisture."

"Maybe we're supposed to collect the morning dew?" Gino asked rhetorically. "We can wait out the night without water, can't we?"

Lelouch didn't want to. He was thirsty, in part from walking for hours under the threat of ambush, in part from the mouthfuls of salt water he'd accidentally swallowed. But he supposed he could wait until morning if they holed up somewhere and rested until then.

"There's a ridge a few minutes back that looks like it might provide a decent amount of cover," Suzaku said. "We can stop there, it's pretty defensible."

Gino looked to Kirihara who nodded, looking disgruntled at his failure. Lelouch hadn't contributed a single thing, other than increasing their risk, so he could hardly point fingers, but he was hungry and thirsty and tired and irritable, so the safest thing for him to do was keep quiet. He had enough self-control to manage that.

As he huddled down under the shallow ridge that provided just enough shade to protect against the afternoon sun, Lelouch fought against the feeling of utter misery that threatened to overcome him. He'd found Suzaku, and they were both still alive. Why did he feel so miserable?

Gino took one look at him and laughed. "Ya know, this is really your first proper Hunger Games. You're not being coddled this time, princess, and no one here's giving anything up for your _favours_."

Lelouch hunched down further, too dispirited to lash back, even verbally. He was useless, once again, only this time he wished for _something_ he could do…

"I would," Suzaku said, stepping between Gino and Lelouch. "You'd better believe I would." His back was so strong and straight and always, _always_ , standing protectively between Lelouch and any threat. "And if you have any problem with any of that, just let us know and this alliance'll be over."

Gino said nothing, and Lelouch couldn't deny the warm feeling from Suzaku's support that spread through him. Kirihara settled beside him with a deep sigh. "Come on, boys, play nice. Hows about you climb a tree or something while we ladyfolk talk about the latest fashion. I hear it's periwinkle."

"Nah," Gino said casually, with just the slightest hint of tension in his voice. "That's two seasons ago. Get with the times."

The first cannons took everyone by surprise. Lelouch frowned. "It's been hours. They couldn't have just finished now, could they?"

The implications were unnerving. If the fighting had been that intense for that long… the difference between the usual crop of children and the returning Victors of this year had never been clearer.

On the other hand, it was just as likely that the fighting had been over long ago, and the gamemakers were postponing the canons to make it seem more intimidating than it was to those who'd survived.

Six cannons. A quarter of the Victors dead already, and another sixth assembled here. That left over half the remaining fighters in the field. Lelouch sighed. "Kirihara is right. I don't know about Gino, but your eyes are good enough to be able to see most of the arena, Suzaku. We need more information before we make any plans."

"And maybe I can find some water." Suzaku leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Lelouch's forehead. "Get some rest. I'll be back before you know it to discuss some of those favours Gino was mentioning."

Lelouch reached up to cup Suzaku's face, wanting him to linger. "Be careful." There were worse last memories than this, but Lelouch wanted the chance to make more. "Come back to me."

"Always," Suzaku promised, smiling. "I'll always return for you."

Not exactly what Lelouch had said, but close enough. His grip shifted, cupping Suzaku's neck and pulling him down for another kiss, when Gino cleared his throat.

"We should get moving while the light is still high enough to be useful."

"Ah, Gino, practical as ever," Lelouch said, releasing his hold on Suzaku who straightened up, pouting only a little. "Bring me back a treat, hmm?"

"Screw you," Gino chirped with all the bubbly cheerfulness of his Pendragon persona. Lelouch stuck his tongue out and Gino finally laughed. "C'mon, Suzaku, sunlight's wasting."

As they headed off, Lelouch tried not to lick his dry lips, knowing that would only make what little moisture he had in his mouth evaporate faster. As a consolation, he bit his lower lip where it had cracked, worrying at the sharp soreness there.

It didn't take long for the forest to come alive before his, and Kirihara's, eyes. Where before there had been only drab greenery, brightly coloured birds flitted from tree to tree, confident in the lack of visible predators, and disturbed the rest of some small squirrel-like things with long snouts and irritatingly high-pitched voices who chattered angrily back.

Lelouch's eyes lazily followed one of the rodents as it scampered from one tree branch to the next, then hesitated at the trunk. If Suzaku returned without at least a couple of them for a meal, Lelouch would have been surprised.

But not as surprised as he was when it scurried down to a lower branch and stuck its ugly snout just below where the branch inserted into the tree. Now that Lelouch was paying attention, he could see multiple similar holes, always around the lower branches, some of them glistening with…

"Water!"

Kirihara had already grabbed Lelouch before he could jump up. "You really don't have even the most basic survival instincts, do you? Keep. Your. Voice. Down."

Lelouch calmed himself. "The squirrel-rat-things have to get water from somewhere, right? They're not like the trees that could be slowly desiccating, they'd die much more quickly."

"They would," Kirihara said slowly, "but there's no fresh water around here, I would have smelled it."

"There is, though!" Lelouch exclaimed. "All around us. It's _in_ the trees." He took out his daggers. "Please, let me show you."

After a careful visual sweep of the area, Kirihara let Lelouch free to go to one of the closer trees. Lelouch carefully picked a spot just below shoulder-level and stabbed the dagger into the tree, prying out chunks of wood and working his way deeper, into the green live flesh. The first trickle of water that tickled the back of his hand made Lelouch jump and something that sounded like a giggle (but _wasn't_ because Lelouch didn't giggle) escaped his lips as he raised his hand to his mouth and tasted the strangely tangy liquid.

"That could be poisonous, you know," Kirihara said casually.

Lelouch grinned at him and stepped aside, leaving the dagger in place where there water could drip, drip, _drip_ off the hilt.

Kirihara managed to restrain himself for almost half a minute before he lapped at the water. Lelouch immediately started working on a second hole. "We're going to need something to collect the water in."

By the time they'd gathered some leaves large enough to use as bowls, Suzaku and Gino returned.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch launched himself into Suzaku's arms, pressing a kiss on him. "I found us some water!"

If he'd given himself a moment, he would have hated how pathetic he looked, so desperate for attention and approval. But Suzaku just lifted him and spun him around, kissing him back, and never gave him the chance. "That's amazing! Only you, Lelouch."

Gino was already at one of the daggers, drinking as deeply as he could. "This is fabulous. A bit brackish, though…"

"Let's see you do better," Lelouch snapped, irritated despite Suzaku's smile pressed against his neck. Suzaku's lips scraped uncomfortably against Lelouch's skin, reminding him that Suzaku was just as thirsty as the rest of us. "Suzaku, you should go too."

Once Gino and Suzaku had partially quenched their thirsts, they settled in to explain what they'd found.

"The island is pretty small, and almost perfectly circular. We're close to the centre, and far enough from the Cornucopia that we're unlikely to run into anyone without trying. There are a couple of places under cover, good hiding places where the others might have gone to ground, but nothing that looks like free-flowing water. You might have found the only source of fresh water on this island, Lelouch."

Lelouch nodded, able to take the praise in stride, now that the looming threat of dying from thirst was no longer a pressing issue.

"Did you see anything odd?" Lelouch asked. "Something like a… mirage?" He wasn't sure if they had those in Area 4, heated air that shimmered like water. It was as close as Lelouch could come to describing the strange visual distortions that signalled the forcefield.

Gino shrugged. Suzaku frowned. "Maaaybe… there was something weird sort of… spiralling from the center. Didn't you see it?"

"Not really," Gino said. "But I wasn't really paying attention to that. I was kind of focusing on finding the others. Now that we have water, our biggest threat is other Tributes once again."

"And food," Kirihara added.

"I can do that!" Suzaku said, jumping up. "Birds are generally safe, and eggs, and I saw a bunch of rodents that are probably edible too. Otherwise, don't eat any nuts or berries until I go over them first, and Gino or Kirihara should take a look at what's edible in terms of sea food." He looked around, at everyone's wide-eyed attention as he directed them, and he blushed. "Uh. Please?"

Lelouch grinned. "Love it when you take charge."

"Alright, time to split up the lovebirds," Gino said. "Lelouch, I guess you're with me if Suzaku's hunting. We'll check out the water."

Suzaku and Lelouch exchanged a long look before Lelouch shrugged. "Alright. Suzaku, if I'm not back in two hours, avenge me."

Suzaku laughed as if that was a joke, but Lelouch was entirely serious. As forthright as Gino and Kirihara had place this so far, he didn't trust them at all. The only reason he'd agreed to venture out with Gino alone was that he was pretty sure Suzaku could take Kirihara, and if Gino did turn on him Suzaku would at least know about his duplicity.

The moment they were out of hearing range, Gino turned to Lelouch. "I'm surprised you agreed to this."

"It's a good plan," Lelouch said, mildly. "Division of labour and all that."

"You're not afraid of a knife in the back?" Gino asked, amused, as he helped Lelouch over a steep slope. "That doesn't seem like you."

Lelouch smiled. "I partnered with someone whose only interest in me was in fucking me until he could kill me himself. What part of that person wouldn't willingly head off with a competitor?"

"So you're pulling that off again? Standing between Suzaku and anything that might hurt him?"

"Trying to," Lelouch said. "He doesn't make it easy." Over Gino's shoulder he could see the sea, stretching from horizon to nauseating horizon. He'd never seen that much water before, and it looked unnatural. In his experience, land surrounded water rather than the other way around. He knew, of course, of seas and oceans, but he also knew of far-away stars and planets. That didn't make them anything less alien.

Gino shot him a look, grinning. "It's something, isn't it?"

"It must be a common sight in Area 4."

"Yeah, but it's still a sight." Gino waved Lelouch towards him, wrapping an arm around Lelouch's waist as they stood together. "Here, I'll keep you steady."

Lelouch's stomach churned, even as he felt a wave of gratitude. Gino's firm arm really did help with the vertigo, but it felt wrong to be held like that, by anyone other than Suzaku. He'd rather have had Gino try to hurt or threaten him than offer him this gentleness. Lelouch could deal with threats and pain. He didn't know how to deal with kindness.

"Hey, if you want," Gino offered, his arm tightening slightly, "I could teach you to swim." He leaned closer, the air from his words ghosting across the lobes of Lelouch's ear. "It's really simple. You just have to relax and let something else take over." His hand slid down over Lelouch's hip, pulling Lelouch in closer. "You can do that, can't you Lelouch?"

Lelouch let himself be pulled in, his hands resting on Gino's chest as Gino's arms folded around him, his eyes heavy-lidded. "Gino…"

"Hmm?" Gino's lips turned up invitingly, the smug satisfaction of getting what he wanted.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch slid his hands up Gino's chest, settling them on the back of his neck.

Gino leaned down. "Seducing you."

"Oh," Lelouch breathed out, playing with the small hairs on the back of Gino's neck as Gino moved in for a kiss. "Just so you know, anything that gets close to my teeth gets bitten."

That took a moment to sink in, and then Gino practically jumped back. "Lelouch! Mixed signals!"

Lelouch laughed, rather unkindly. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to assuage your boredom."

"Hey, no," Gino protested. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I wanted you." Lelouch looked unimpressed and Gino shrugged. "And Suzaku. But I already tried with him and… well, he can't really take a hint, can he?"

"Stop hinting at my fiancé," Lelouch said shortly. Gino laughed.

"I'd never want to break you two up. I just wanted–" He froze. "Did you hear that?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Cute. You don't have to avoid talking about it, Gino, just stop doing it." Gino held up his hand and Lelouch fell silent. If there really was something there, the odds of it being a threat were huge.

A sound came from the brush, again, if Gino was right. Lelouch catalogued its traits – it sounded human, female, frightened, pained, desperate…

"Anya!"

Before Lelouch could react, Gino was crashing through the brush as if racing away from something terrifying.

Or towards something terrified and loved. Lelouch hesitated, part of him reluctant to run blindly after someone who had clearly lost all sense, but part of him knowing how he would feel in Gino's situation.

And part of him simply responding to the terrified scream of another human being.

Lelouch cursed and drew one of his small daggers, and raced after Gino. They'd probably still need him after all, and it wasn't as though they were so rich in allies they could afford to lose one to his own irrationality.

He nearly ran into Gino, standing sill as a statue in the middle of a small clearing. He appeared to have gotten over his delusion rather quickly. "What was that about?" Lelouch snapped.

At Gino's feet was a small dead bird, with dull grey and white and brown plumage. "I heard Anya."

"You said." Lelouch had no idea who Anya was, but clearly she was someone important to Gino. "Unless that's a nickname for one of the other Victors, she's not here."

Gino laughed, but it sounded anything but amused. "You don't know that. They could easily take our loved ones and drag them here, torturing them to get to us."

Lelouch felt ill. "They wouldn't. They never have before." It was a weak argument. There had never been two Victors before, Victors had never returned to the Arena before, the head gamemaker had never been Schneizel before. There were a lot of things that had never happened 'before'.

As if reading Lelouch's mind, Gino snorted. "That means close to nothing, Lelouch, and you know it. I believe they're fully capable of doing anything and everything, and the only reason I don't think they actually _have_ is–"

He might have continued speaking, but Lelouch wasn't listening any more. Just within his range of hearing, he heard another scream, helpless and agonized and…

" _Mother_!" Lelouch's mother had never raised her voice in anything other than anger. No matter how much pain she might be in, Lelouch was certain she would rather bite out her own tongue than give her tormentors the satisfaction of hearing her beg for mercy. But there was no denying that was her voice, as pain-filled and terrified as Ginio's Anya's had been.

He tore through the brush, tripping more than running, chasing after that scream. He realized, faintly, that Gino was calling after him, yelling his name and orders to stop, wait, listen. Lelouch had no intention of listening or hesitating even a moment. His whole life he'd worked towards protecting his mother and Nunnally and nothing, not even the threat of a trap or death or the Hunger Games themselves, would stop him from doing that.

And certainly not Gino.

It wasn't just his mother, part of Lelouch noticed that he could hear other people screaming, voices he didn't recognize. People precious to the other Victors, no doubt. Lelouch wiped the sweat and tears from his face and mentally cursed the Victors for having so many people they cared about. Didn't they know that would put their loved ones at risk? Didn't they know that left them vulnerable to Pendragon and their vicious machinations?

A glint of light reflecting off metal flashed out of the corner of Lelouch's eye and Marianne's screams stopped as Gino's trident ran through another one of those birds. It was enough to bring Lelouch up short, despite the cacophony of other agonized voices surrounding him, enough to let Gino catch up to him and grab his shoulders, leaning down so they were face-to-face.

"It's not real," Gino said, enunciating clearly and slowly. "It's coming from the birds."

"The birds…" Lelouch looked around dully, noticing now that each screaming voice corresponded to a bird whose head was raised in 'song'. "How do they know, though? How to they know how to sound like… like Anya?"

Gino winced and looked away. Lelouch pulled away from his hold, stumbling back until he hit a tree and could slump down to the damp forest floor. "They have them. They're torturing them and teaching the birds to scream like them."

It was all for nothing. They probably hadn't waited more than a day before taking Nunnally and Marianne and Kallen and Milly and anyone Lelouch or Suzaku had shown a kind face to. And, during the week of training and showing off, they'd prepared the birds with their loved one's cries.

Maybe they were even dead. Maybe this was all completely pointless. Even if, by some miracle, Lelouch survived this, what would be the point without his sister or mother or Suzaku?

And how could he go back, with everyone knowing that they died for this – for this moment of utter horror and the entertainment of the people of Pendragon.

A warm, heavy weight settled next to him. "We don't know that."

"What else could it be?" Lelouch asked, despairing. "Don't lie to me, Gino, at least not this obviously."

Gino took Lelouch's face in his hands and forced Lelouch too look at him. "We _don't_ know that, Lelouch. We have no idea what these people are capable of, with the technology that they have. They could have done a lot of different things, but _we don't know_ what they actually did. And I, at least, want to have hope."

"Hope." Lelouch felt tears escaping his eyes, running over his cheeks and pooling where Gino was cupping his face. "How can you say that, surrounded by this?"

Gino leaned in, his hands moving to cup over Lelouch's ears as he pressed his lips to Lelouch's. "Then don't listen." He flattened his hands, his fingers splayed out against the sides of Lelouch's head, and the screams were mercifully muffled, and the kiss was gratifyingly distracting. Lelouch kissed back, in thanks, and let Gino push him to the soft ground, reaching up to return the favour and block the sounds to Gino's ears with his own hands.

It probably said something that this was how they offered and accepted comfort. Gino settled neatly between Lelouch's legs, pressing the entire length of his body along Lelouch's. It was settling, grounding, rather than arousing and, as Lelouch hooked his leg around Gino's calf, keeping him close, both their bodies remained soft and unaroused.

They kissed for what felt like hours, until Lelouch's jaw was sore and tired, his lips and lower face uncomfortably wet. Their hands managed to block out the worst of the noise, but enough seeped through that there was no mistaking the chorus of pained cries that surrounded them. The sound of Gino breathing, sighing, occasionally groaning, into Lelouch's mouth helped block those sounds even further, and Lelouch was sure his soft sounds were doing the same for Gino.

It wasn't a stable situation or solution. They were both young, both emotionally strung out, and things had to either progress or stop. Even when Lelouch felt Gino start to harden against him, even when his own body stirred to life in response, neither of them were willing to even pause for fear that the voices would come back, with nothing to stop them from being as horrible and terrifying as they had been.

Gino moved against him, and Lelouch arched willingly enough, unable to resist the gentle build-up until it really was too much and yet not enough. Gino groaned and spoke for the first time since they'd fallen to the ground, his voice hoarse and desperate, sending a thrill down Lelouch's spine.

"Lelouch… can… can I?"

"Mmm…" Lelouch nodded his head slightly, enough to give Gino permission for whatever he wanted to do without dislodging those hands. This couldn't last forever, after a while the audience would get bored, the ratings would go down, and Schneizel would let them escape so they could stumble onto the next trap. All they had to do was ride this out.

…as it were.

Gino seemed to be thinking along similar lines, and the movement of his hips changed from instinctive and restrained to a smooth, purposeful undulation. His lips moved from Lelouch's to trail down over his cheek, nipping lightly at the small bit of earlobe not covered by his hands before sucking with skilled pressure and judicious teeth at the tendon in Lelouch's neck. It was nice, in a way, to have such experienced attention lavished on him, but Lelouch missed Suzaku's rough hands and occasional fumbling.

Still, it felt good. And it distracted from the horror of the bird's cries.

Lelouch moved and groaned encouragingly, and Gino took him at his wordless moan and shifted, nudging Lelouch's hip up and grinding their erections together. Lelouch went willingly, lifting his legs and twisting to give Gino better access. Gino's hand slipped down from over Lelouch's ear, over to his hip to hold him in place and for a moment Lelouch heard nothing but silence apart from the wind in the trees and the frantic beating of his heart.

And then, once again from a distance, Nunnally.

Screaming.

Lelouch jolted up, partially dislodging Gino who only just then realized what he'd done. "Shit, sorry…" He tried to bring his hand up to cover Lelouch's ears again, but nothing could make Lelouch unhear that scream, nothing could keep him down on his back, certainly not Gino's half-hearted efforts. Lelouch wrenched himself free of Gino's hold and scrambled up, running through the forest, which was now silent save for the cries and sobs of Nunnally's voice getting closer and closer as Lelouch raced towards it.

The forest was disorientating. Every time Lelouch got close to figuring out where Nunnally's screaming was coming from, he got turned around and it seemed to be coming from another direction altogether. His heart was beating hard and fast enough that all Lelouch could feel was an ache spreading from the center of his chest, his breath came in desperate, painful pulls that seemed to wheeze past his constricted throat. His legs and eyes burned with exertion and tears, and he could barely see where he was going.

At one point, he stumbled past a tree he knew he'd passed three or four times already, and Gino grabbed him.

"Lelouch, stop it, she's not here!"

Lelouch struggled mindlessly, his brain unable to comprehend the words Gino was saying, unable to process what was happening, where they were, anything regarding the context. All he could hear was Nunnally screaming, in agony as she was tortured, and all because of _him_.

He fought Gino's grip, using what little he knew to target his attacks to Gino's vulnerable spots – his throat, his stomach, his shins. Gino gamely held on and fought to control him and Lelouch's small lingering control snapped and he struggled like a captured beast, senselessly writhing and bucking in Gino's arms, his voice going hoarse as he shrieked and demanded to be released, to be allowed to find Nunnally.

"Lelouch!"

Gino's words fell meaningless against Lelouch's ears. It took Suzaku, calling his name as he raced towards them to break through the pure panic and desperation that Lelouch was feeling. He snapped out of his frenzy, and immediately regretted doing so.

Nunnally's voice – her screaming, pained voice – was gone.

Gino loosened his grip and sighed. "Fuck, _finally_." Lelouch stood listlessly as Suzaku raced up to them, followed by Kirihara at a more sedate pace.

Suzaku shot a quick angry glare at Gino before taking Lelouch into his arms, holding him in a tight embrace and then pulling back and smoothing his hands over Lelouch's shoulders. "Lelouch, what happened?"

Nunnally's voice was gone. Nunnally… was gone.

Lelouch hadn't been able to save her. He'd failed. This was all… pointless.

"Lelouch," Suzaku pressed. "Are you okay?"

Nunnally was dead. And it was all his fault.

"Lelouch, please, talk to me."

No, it wasn't _all_ his fault. There was enough blame to go around. And the most perfect, noble dispenser of justice possible right here, in front of Lelouch, just waiting to be put to use.

"Suzaku?" Lelouch was a little surprised at how weak his voice sounded. Tremulous, almost. That would never do – he had _orders_ for Suzaku to follow. "Suzaku. Nunnally was here." There. That was better. Suzaku's eyes widened and Lelouch gestured towards Gino, whose mouth was opening to protest. "He stopped me from saving her."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed, and Suzaku's gaze hardened in anticipation. Good boy. "Kill him."

Suzaku was moving almost before the words were out of Lelouch's mouth.


	12. The Rules

Gino, to his credit, held his own reasonably well against Suzaku, especially considering how surprised he'd been by Suzaku's attack. It helped that he had his favourite weapon so close to hand, while Suzaku had to deal with shorter blades than he'd used in the previous games.

Not that it slowed him down much. Suzaku had likely already practiced on several of the other Victors to win his way free with what weapons he'd gathered, and with every exchange with Gino his movements became more fluid, more natural, more deadly.

Gino was doing impressively well to hold him off, but the conclusion was all but inevitable. Lelouch clenched his hands into fists at his side, his teeth bared against the grief and vindication he felt, watching his lover take on and inevitably destroy his sister's killer.

"Stop!" Kirihara's voice, old and feeble as it was, carried with it an element of command. He grabbed Lelouch's shoulder, holding him in place, and pressed his own blade against Lelouch's vulnerable neck. "Or I kill Lelouch."

Suzaku froze mid-thrust and Gino stumbled to a halt, breathing heavily. He'd raced through the forest and wrestled Lelouch before this fight, and that had taken its toll. Suzaku looked to Lelouch, passively waiting for Lelouch's instructions.

Lelouch wanted to order him to keep going, to take Gino out, to avenge Nunnally's death. But Gino, still trying to catch his breath, caught Lelouch's eye and some small splinter of common sense pierced through Lelouch's veil of furious grief. "Wait."

Suzaku's stance changed to a more neutral one, ready to move but not quite poised.

The blade was sharp and ready at Lelouch's throat. Say what one might about Pendragon's regard for the fighters in the Hunger Games, they saw that once they were armed, they were armed well. Lelouch was careful not to swallow, despite the aching dryness in his mouth. "Suzaku, stand down."

The moment Suzaku put his swords away, Gino collapsed, exhausted. Lelouch, still unable to move his head, scanned the forest in front of him with his eyes for the birds who had been mimicking their loved ones. He thought he might have seen one, the dull grey flicker of wings behind the bright green of the leaves, but he wasn't sure. "Those birds…"

"What birds?" Suzaku asked, waiting for a command. Lelouch moved forward, slowly enough that Kirihara had enough time to remove the blade from his neck before it sliced something open and walked towards Suzaku, his legs trembling.

He felt the exhaustion of the chase mingling with the emotional exhaustion of 'losing' Nunnally, and all he wanted right now was to be held. "The birds sounded like Nunnally and mother." And Kallen at one point, and Milly, but that was far less important. "Didn't you hear them?"

Suzaku shook his head. "All I heard was you yelling at Gino." He shot a quick glance at Gino, still catching his breath on the forest floor. "I came as soon as I could."

"How could you not hear them?" Lelouch asked, and suddenly he wondered if they'd been there at all. Was this what going mad felt like? "They were _everywhere_."

"There was a clear blockade between you and us," Kirihara volunteered, and Lelouch had a moment to wonder if it was the shielding he'd seen in the training arena before dismissing it if the blockade had blocked sound as well. "We had to travel along it while hunting, and doubled back when we heard your caterwauling."

"I'm sorry," Suzaku said. "I couldn't get to you." His eyes hardened. "I won't be separated from you again."

Gino barely managed to turn a wheezing laugh into a mock cough. "Good… good for you." He held up his hands in a gesture of pacification when Lelouch and Suzaku turned on him. "We won't split up again. Got it."

"In the meantime," Kirihara said, "We have a meal waiting at the water pumps. I assume you didn't get much fishing done?"

"We'll work on that tomorrow," Gino promised. "For now, I really need something to eat and a decent night's sleep."

Lelouch just then noticed that it had been getting darker for the past hour or so, which was partially why there was no longer any sign of the birds. He was exhausted and heartsick, and wanted nothing more than to curl up in Suzaku's arms and let himself be comforted.

But that would have to wait until they were in relative safety.

Their base was surprisingly close to where Lelouch and Gino had ended up. Kirihara set up a relatively smokeless fire, even on the dampness of the forest floor, although he couldn't mask the enticing scent of the meat cooking over the hot coals. Suzaku had caught a squirrel-rat for each of them and Kirihara had gathered some bluish berries he'd seen the squirrel-rats eating. That, along with a decent draught of brackish water, was enough to sustain them overnight.

Lelouch got his wish, as Suzaku settled back against one of the trees, his back to the distant ocean that was only barely audible from their camp. "Lelouch…"

It didn't take more of an invitation than that for Lelouch to curl up in Suzaku's arms and rest his head on Suzaku's shoulder, drifting in and out of a sleepy haze as the sun set. It had been a ridiculously busy first day, and they had accomplished close to nothing other than finding water, food, and shelter – the bare minimum expected of anyone who survived the first day.

And many hadn't. After the anthem played, the roll of the dead played, showing eight ex-Victors who had met their ends sometime during the first day. Lelouch had missed the sixth and seventh cannons, but he'd been… busy for about an hour.

…almost exactly an hour. Something about that irked him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as he watched the roll. Both from Area 2, which was reassuring, both Area 5, the women from Area 7 and Area 10, and both from Area 12. So, all of Area 12's Victors were now dead. Who would mentor the next group of Tributes from there?

Lelouch thought of Nunnally's voice, and his mother's, sounding tortured even coming from the beaks of those birds. He snorted and cuddled closer to Suzaku's warmth. If he managed to get out of here, one way or the other, there wouldn't _be_ another Hunger Games. If he had to parade around like a fool to start a revolution himself, he would ensure that this never happened again.

And that Charles would pay for whatever he'd done to Nunnally and Marianne to make them sound like that.

"I've been thinking," Gino said, out of nowhere. "Maybe those voices weren't real at all. Maybe they were like the special effects that get added onto the final reels of the Hunger Games."

"It wasn't a video," Lelouch said numbly. "Those were birds, live animals. They can't be programmed, they can only mimic."

"But–"

"Who's Anya?"

Gino shut up for the rest of the night.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

A good night's sleep wasn't nearly enough to return Lelouch back to his normal self, but it was enough to allow him to reform some of his masks. Gino also had a somewhat haunted expression, the look of a person whose sleep was plagued by nightmares. Lelouch had been soothed and comforted by Suzaku, a luxury that he was determined he would not need again, while Gino hadn't had anyone.

Not even his 'Anya'.

Lelouch remembered her now. She had won the Hunger Games two years before he and Suzaku had, after being the last Tribute to drown. She'd been technically dead for several minutes, and had needed to be revived on screen after being retrieved, twice. She was Gino's age, just a little older than Suzaku and Lelouch, despite entering the Hunger Games two years after him. Gino had been fourteen when he'd won, and sixteen when he'd mentored Anya's male counterpart.

Lelouch wondered if they'd become close before or after she'd nearly died. Either way, they'd had at least three years together, to grow closer and more attached, and then…

And then she had been chosen to die alongside him.

Suddenly, the memory of the way Kirihara's farcically stood up, volunteering to take her place, felt less like mockery and more like a tribute. Gino's insistence on Kirihara made perfect sense now, given that he'd already saved the one person Gino cared for more than anything else, if his reaction was anything to go by.

Perhaps that was why he kept insisting that Nunnally and Marianne and Anya weren't being tortured or tormented somewhere to produce those screams. Perhaps he preferred to indulge in wishful thinking, whereas Lelouch had always insisted on hard truths. Either way, there was no way Lelouch could share these thoughts with Suzaku – apart from embarrassing Gino and undermining the adoration he enjoyed from his 'lovers' in Pendragon, it would only serve to underline that Anya _was_ important to Gino, and entice the gamemakers to use her in the future.

And Lelouch couldn't bring himself to do that. It was clear now that Gino hadn't led Lelouch to those birds on purpose. They were back where they started, barely trusting each other, but willing to work together, and Lelouch wasn't going to be the first to betray their little bargain. At least not without needing to, in order to ensure Suzaku's safety.

"You've got on your frowny thinky face," Suzaku said, clearly trying to cheer everyone up. "That usually means I have work ahead of me."

Lelouch forced out a smile. "I was just thinking… it's still early enough for gifts to be relatively inexpensive and we were desperate for water at one point. Even if _we_ don't have many sponsors, Gino certainly should."

Suzaku looked confused. "But who would send the gifts? We don't have any mentors."

Good point. In fact, that was a _very_ interesting point. Sponsors could often mean the difference between life and death. Gino, at fourteen, likely had only managed to win because he'd been an overwhelming favourite and his every need and want was answered immediately by a small army of wealthy sponsors. To take that away turned the focus away from the popularity games towards the sheer skill…

Well, that certainly put Lelouch at a disadvantage. But if they couldn't be helped, neither could anyone else. And they had food and water…

"We might be able to wait most of the others out. Especially if they haven't found a good water source like we have."

Gino overheard that and managed a wan smile. "Good point. Besides, it looks like they're trying to make the Arena more… aggressive than usual."

Lelouch could see Schneizel's hand in that. "Perhaps." There were no floods or fireballs yet, nothing that did anything other than psychological damage. Again, that seemed very much like Schneizel's style. "Still, we should keep a careful watch."

Just then a cannon rang out over the island. Lelouch winced and Gino's smile dropped from his face.

Suzaku looked between them and clapped his hands. "Hey, Gino! Didn't you promise us some fish?"

It seemed like so long ago, that Lelouch and Gino had gone off together to search out food alternatives and ended up being tormented by those birds. Gino nodded. "I'll get right on that. You guys stay here." He flashed another smile, fleeting but more real this time. "I did promise not to separate you again."

Lelouch busied himself with switching out the water-holding leaves beneath the daggers that he'd inserted into three separate trees. They were beginning to run slower, and Lelouch wasn't sure if that was a cyclical thing or if they were drying out. They looked fine, however, and Lelouch decided to continue using the same trees for now.

The dawn had left behind a generous twinkling of dew, a water source for those less fortunate (or intelligent) than Lelouch, but that was fast fading. Lelouch carefully hid the full leaves in the protection of a shady nook, where they would evaporate more slowly.

Suzaku, meanwhile, set up a few traps and scouted around the periphery of their little camp. Lelouch tried not to fret for the few minutes he dropped out of sight now and again, but it was hard.

Kirihara noticed, and was amused. "You should learn needlepoint. Something to do while the men are out working."

"I know needlepoint," Lelouch snapped back, only amusing Kirihara even more. "Honestly, if you've nothing but inanities to add, please keep your comments to yourself."

That made Kirihara laugh outright. "The one thing that I may do here, in these games, is speak my mind. I wasn't able to before, but now…"

Now there was nothing to lose. Lelouch understood that well. He ached to ask why Kirihara had done it, why he'd given up some of his dignity and possibly his life for Gino's Anya. But he was afraid of Kirihara turning the question around on him, and asking after Nunnally. After the birds, Lelouch didn't want to think about his sister in any sort of detail. He hoped that she had managed to get out of Area 11 okay, but hope and expectation were two different things.

The sound of Suzaku returning, louder and clumsier than Lelouch had expected, distracted him from unasked and unanswered questions. He turned to offer Suzaku something to drink, and felt the words dry up on his tongue as he saw what else had come from the surrounding forest.

Jeremiah from Area 6. Restrained only by thin vines and the naked blade of Suzaku's sword at his back.

"He was skulking around outside the camp."

Kirihara stood. "So you thought it would be a good idea to bring him _right to us_?"

Suzaku frowned. "He surrendered. I couldn't just kill him."

The incredulous look Kirihara shot Lelouch just made Lelouch feel more exasperated. "Yes, Suzaku, you could have." Sometimes Lelouch didn't understand Suzaku at all. "That's what this is all about – killing other people, whether they surrender or not."

"I… that's not something I can do, Lelouch."

"Of course not." Lelouch drew one of his last daggers that wasn't stuck in a tree or off with Gino for his fishing expedition. "Hold him still."

Suzaku looked like he wanted to protest but, before he could, Jeremiah fell to his knees, raising his head and exposing his neck. "As you will, my lady."

Lelouch wondered if everyone was crazy, not just him. It made sense, it wasn't as if surviving the Hunger Games was something that kept sanities intact, nor something that good, sane, _normal_ people could possibly do. Suzaku looked at him with wide, pleading eyes, and Lelouch took some consolation in the fact that at least they wouldn't both survive long enough for Suzaku to learn that Lelouch would deny him nothing when he looked like that.

"Why did you come here?"

Jeremiah looked amazed that he was being asked questions instead of being killed quickly. "Marika and Kewell betrayed us. They killed Villetta, and I barely escaped with my life. I caught sight of the boy from 4 and figured there was a chance that you might be near."

Lelouch didn't have to ask why Jeremiah was looking for him. He'd already promised his service, his loyalty, even his life to Lelouch in the training arena. He'd even knelt at Lelouch's feet. Insane? Probably. A useful resource? Possibly. An overly dangerous risk to take?…

Definitely, but Suzaku was still looking at him like _that_. It was unfair.

"Lelouch, if we die, and we probably will, I just want us to die as ourselves. Not as the monsters we've been forced to become."

Lelouch sighed and put his dagger away. "There are times, Suzaku, when I wish I could hate you."

Suzaku grinned and sliced through Jeremiah's bindings. "No, you don't."

Jeremiah seemed to not really understand what had just happened, remaining on his knees as Suzaku moved past him to take Lelouch into his arms and kiss him with such pleased gratitude that Lelouch couldn't even regret his stupid, soft-hearted and soft-headed decision. Kirihara had drawn his own sword, less eager to trust than Suzaku and less susceptible to Suzaku's wiles than Lelouch. When Gino joined them and took in the scene, Lelouch decided to just stay back and let things go as they would.

"…anyone hungry?" Gino asked, holding up a brace of fish.

And just like that, Jeremiah was part of the dysfunctional, mistrustful group that had built itself around Gino's ridiculous unfaltering optimism and Suzaku's hopeful openmindedness. He ate their food, drank their water, and added to their arsenal to the tune of a bow and mostly-full quiver of arrows, three wickedly curved short blades of some kind, and a fit, practiced killer.

Lelouch liked that – Kirihara was old, Suzaku was soft, and Gino had his own agenda. Jeremiah could be useful. Not like Luciano, more like… Rolo.

Lelouch sighed. Suzaku looked over at him. "What?" he asked through a mouthful of raw fish.

"I don't like the way I think sometimes," Lelouch said. "It's too easy to fall into the same patterns as… as before. I'd rather not think at all."

"Don't say that," Gino protested. "Your brains, Suzaku's brawn, Kirihara's vast experience, and my _dashing_ good looks are what make us the best team ever!" He looked over at Jeremiah. "What d'you have to offer?"

Jeremiah looked over at Lelouch. "Loyalty."

"Just clarifying, but loyalty to _Lelouch_ , right? Not to the group as a whole."

"If you set your goals against Lelouch's I will destroy you with all the might I have at my disposal."

Gino sighed. "Great." He turned to Lelouch with a wry smirk. "There's _two_ of them."

Lelouch smirked back, comfortably nestled between Suzaku's reassuring warmth and Jeremiah's surprisingly unwavering, unreasonable, allegiance to Lelouch.

As the sun rose, the last of the morning dew faded and Lelouch snuggled up beside Suzaku as Gino and Jeremiah scouted around the camp. They'd decided to wait out the rest of the Victors in the relatively quiet patch that was both safe and defensible.

Or so Lelouch had thought, until Gino came racing back to camp, with Jeremiah at his side, his left arm dangling uselessly and the trident held awkwardly in his right.

"Up, up!" Gino yelled as he drew close. "Run!"

Suzaku was already moving, yanking Lelouch's daggers from their trees.

"We don't have time for that!" Gino snapped, pausing just long enough to shove Suzaku along. "Run!"

Lelouch had no idea what they were running away from. Whatever it was had apparently broken or injured Gino's arm somehow, however, which was more than enough incentive to run full out.

Unfortunately, for Lelouch, running full out without the impetus of panicking about his sister was the equivalent to the others moving at a light jog. Even Kirihara outpaced him quickly enough, his old bones moving with efficient, streamlined movements as he loped farther and father away from Lelouch.

Suzaku kept pace beside him, and Lelouch almost waved him ahead, but he couldn't spare the energy. He found himself getting irritated, wondering _why_ they were running, and was it really that important…

Jeremiah stopped suddenly, and turned, facing Lelouch and Suzaku. Lelouch's steps faltered as he wondered why, but Suzaku grabbed his wrist and kept him moving, until they made it to Jeremiah who, without any warning or courteous pause, _scooped_ Lelouch up in his arms, throwing him over his shoulder and whirling to keep pace with Suzaku, who had finally sped up.

Lelouch opened his mouth to protest this rough-handed treatment, but nothing more than a breath of horror escaped him as he raised his head from Jeremiah's back and realized what, exactly, they were running from.

Silent and ominous, the forest was quickly being overrun by billowing clouds of a noxious grey-purple miasma. As frightening as it was, it didn't seem bad enough to merit their desperate flight until Lelouch caught sight of one of the tree rodents that wasn't quite quick enough to escape the fog as it writhed and died, its small body erupting in blisters that exploded in liquid and pus before it was swallowed up by the fog, silent in death as it had been in its short, strangely pointless life.

Lelouch hadn't even noticed that the rodents hadn't ever made a sound, not even a squeak. Watching the silent yet obviously agonized death, Lelouch wondered if they _could_ even make noise.

Jeremiah's grip shifted, grasping Lelouch more firmly as they moved over more uneven ground, and Lelouch clutched at his back, desperate to get safely out of the mist's range.

Kirihara's voice, closer than Lelouch expected, travelled back to them. "The ocean! Head for the ocean!"

It was a good idea, as far as Lelouch could tell, as the water would protect them from the fog. Unless, of course, the fog melted into the water, contaminating it, turning the ocean into a poisonous, corrosive trap.

But Lelouch didn't get the chance to voice his theory. Jeremiah turned and followed Suzaku, tearing through the brush to get to the open, sandy beaches. This put them on a more parallel course to the fog, rather than directly away from it, and despite Jeremiah's surety of foot and his speed, Lelouch watched as the fog rolled in, closer and closer…

And then it stopped.

Lelouch blinked at it, incredulously, as the fog billowed and pulsed, but didn't move any further than the arbitrary line where it had stopped. Jeremiah burst through the forest, stumbling only slightly as his feet dug into the sand, unhesitantly racing for the water.

"Jeremiah, wait–"

A mouthful of salt water cut Lelouch off as Jeremiah dunked Lelouch into the ocean. For a moment, he felt as if he was drowning, floundering in the warm, salty embrace of watery death.

And then Suzaku's arms were around him and Lelouch could breathe again.

Kirihara and Gino were already treading water, far from the beach. Lelouch and Suzaku, and Jeremiah, were still in the shallows, barely up to their waists. Lelouch breathed out and let himself relax in Suzaku's arms. He'd been on the edge of fight-or-flight for days, but his brain was kicking back in.

"It stopped."

"Hmm?" Suzaku asked, attentive, as always.

"The fog, it stopped."

"Oh. Good?"

Lelouch grinned. "It's _great_. Suzaku, there's a pattern here, I'm sure of it! The blockade, the way the fog stopped… there's something here."

Jeremiah nodded. "One of the Tributes from Area 3 said something about that."

"Rakshata or Ougi?" Lelouch asked.

"The woman," Jeremiah said. "She said the island was sectioned."

"Sectioned how?" Lelouch asked, drawing a map in his mind. "In pie pieces?" That would fit what he'd seen of the fog, and the barrier that Suzaku and Kirihara had had to deal with.

Jeremiah shrugged. "She just said it was organized hourly."

That… made _perfect_ sense! Lelouch jumped up and grabbed Suzaku's wrist, preempting another full-bodied hug to keep him still by dragging Suzaku to shore with him. Suzaku followed, but Lelouch could feel the look he shot Jeremiah behind Lelouch's back. He pressed on, pulling Suzaku behind him. He wasn't about to be _handled_ , not even by his lover and a man who considered him the epitome of royal femininity.

…weirdos, both.

But useful and, Lelouch let his grip slip down until his fingers laced with Suzaku's, loved. It didn't matter if they thought Lelouch useless or even insane. He would do what he could to keep them safe.

By the time he'd sketched out a rough drawing of the island, with lines separating twelve pie-piece-shaped sections, Gino and Kirihara had joined them.

"How's your arm?" Suzaku asked.

Gino held it out. "Fine. The water helped. Burned like wet fire, but the blisters eased down."

Two more cannons went off and the sound of a loud roar in the distance. Lelouch shivered and looked back at his drawing. "It's a clock."

Jeremiah looked at him. "It's… a very nice clock?"

"Not the picture," Lelouch snapped, exasperated. "The _island_. It's a clock. Gino, how long were those birds… screaming?"

"Lelouch, if this is one of your mind games…" Whatever Gino saw in Lelouch's face made him sigh and answer. "A couple of hours, probably. No more."

"I'd bet it was an hour, exactly," Lelouch said. "And I'll bet that fog only lasted an hour as well, from when it started to when it reached the edge here." He tapped the map, at a random line. "And that beast we heard… it's probably only set free for an hour, right after the fog." He straightened up, watching Kirihara's face light up with realization. "It's a clock."

"That means this should be safe for another ten hours or so," Kirihara reasoned. "Given that this is the beast's hour."

"And we lucked out on missing the fog while you were hunting, before," Lelouch added. "Right after the birds."

Gino fell to his knees and placed X's in the pie pieces that they'd been through. "Birds, fog, beast… that still leave nine more to go."

Jeremiah filled in two more, on the other side of the island. "Flooding in this one, and fire in this one. And there was the sound of something near where we camped, a localized earthquake. I'm not sure where that was, exactly."

"We have nearly half of them labelled, half of them solved," Lelouch said. "If we can figure this out, we can use it, to lead the others into traps, or even just to outlast them."

"Or we could just stay here until the birds come," Gino said. "It's rough, but it's not life-threatening like the rest."

Lelouch shuddered. He didn't want to go through that again.

"I think we should explore some more," Suzaku disagreed. "If there's a sweet spot, something like the area with the beast where we can hide until it's the beast's hour and then just move to another area… I think that would be best."

Kirihara looked down at the map. "We're in the bird area now. If we travel through the fog area to the beast area, we should find out what the next area does."

"Excellent!" Jeremiah declared. "A noble adventure, and an opportunity for me to prove my loyalty!"

Lelouch smiled tiredly and patted Jeremiah's arm. "I think you proved that amply with your brave rescue. I would never have made it out of there in time, had it not been for you." Jeremiah puffed up proudly under Lelouch's praise.

"Is anyone else feeling _really_ exposed, chatting here on an open beach?" Suzaku asked nervously.

"Actually, yeah," Gino said. "If we're moving, let's get a move on."

They kept just inside the tree line, with Gino and Suzaku and Jeremiah taking turns scouting farther afield. Despite the decent meal and the fact that he'd been carried halfway, Lelouch felt exhausted from the race from the fog, and could barely keep up with Kirihara. They passed through the fog section, closer to the beach than their old camp, but through fairly recognizable territory, and stopped before they reached the edge of what Lelouch estimated was the beast area.

"Do we have a plan?" Suzaku asked. Everyone turned to Lelouch.

Lelouch sighed. "We'll keep it simple and stay in sight, in pairs at the least. If anything happens to your partner, and they can't be saved, don't bother trying to get to them, just return to the group as best you can and minimize losses." Everyone nodded. "Gino, you and Jeremiah will–"

The sudden noise of something large and fast crashing through the brush came from the side and Lelouch leapt back, at the same moment Jeremiah and Suzaku moved to protect him. His mind raced – he couldn't have been _that_ mistaken about the beast's territory, and they should have been far enough from it and downwind enough that it (they?) shouldn't have even known they were there.

The bushes parted and, instead of a large hairy monster, a tall, lanky man burst through, armed with two short blades that were literally dripping with blood. His eyes were wide and immediately locked onto Jeremiah as the largest and most intimidating enemy in front of him.

But that wasn't the end of it. Right on his heels was someone Lelouch had _no_ desire to see, now or ever.

Cornelia's eyes weren't nearly as wild, but her longsword was just as bloody. Her gaze moved over and past Jeremiah and Suzaku, ignoring Gino and Kirihara altogether, and landed on Lelouch.

"Oh. It's you." She sighed. "Stand down, Guilford."


	13. Cheating

Lelouch felt hysterical laughter welling up inside him, but he tamped it down. "Then you can stand down as well, Jeremiah."

Cornelia and Lelouch eyed each other for a long moment, then Lelouch smiled. "What an unexpected pleasure it is to see you. What brings you here, sister?"

" _Sister_?" Gino blurted out, incredulously. "That explains…" He caught himself and cut himself off, shrinking back from Cornelia and Lelouch's glares.

Guilford and Jeremiah had followed orders, lowering their weapons to waist height, standing at an uneasy sort of 'at ease'. Suzaku on the other hand, most likely remembering Cornelia and Guilford's impressive performance in the arena, kept his weapon up and ready.

What surprised Lelouch the most was the way that Cornelia, despite seeming about as happy about all this as Lelouch, wasn't brandishing her weapon any more than Guilford was. Gino and Kirihara, likewise, seemed to take it for granted that the situation wouldn't devolve into violence.

"We don't recommend travelling any further," Cornelia said. "You don't looked armed enough for that beast."

Guilford shot her a wary look. "You think we lost it, then?"

"We don't think it can come out this far," Gino said. "It should be confined to that section of the island."

Lelouch winced. Apart from the numbers, which likely meant little to a fighter like Cornelia while flanked by an ally that she had absolute confidence in, that information was the only thing they'd had to barter. If Cornelia could figure out the island on her own, she had no reason to keep them around or alive to torture and interrogate. As doomed as the latter scenario seemed, Lelouch had long ago learned that where there was life, there was hope. Where there was death, however…

Cornelia, whose eyes never left Lelouch, noticed the wince and sneered at it.

"Considering we spent the first hours of the games clearing the field while you all played hide-poorly-and-take-your-time-seeking, I think that information is the least you owe us."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lelouch demanded. "We weren't playing at anything, and you've done nothing for us."

"You didn't think that Tributes from Area 2 just tripped and fell on their swords out of over-eagerness, do you? Cornelia retorted.

Gino laughed, more of a nervous, conciliatory gesture than genuine humour. "Fair enough, fair enough. You're quite right, everyone has their role to play." He held his hands up, looking beseechingly between Lelouch and Cornelia. "Now, at the risk of sounding like a naïve idealist, can we all just get along?"

An alliance with Cornelia? Gino had suggested it before and Lelouch had to admit that in purely practical, logistical terms, it made perfect sense. With Area 2 out of the way, and almost half the Tributes already dead, there was no doubt that this alliance, if it was allowed to happen, would be the strongest one on the field. Lelouch could easily see the practical merits to the alliance, they were quite obvious – both Cornelia and Guilford were two of the strongest fighters who had ever come out in any Area and they seemed surprisingly willing to align themselves with Lelouch's group. But it made no sense. With only thirteen Tributes left, groups should have been breaking up instead of adding members. An alliance of seven Tributes when there were only five others remaining could only ever be so temporary as to be practically useless.

Suzaku's expression held the same patient waiting that it had after Lelouch had called him off from attacking Gino. He was clearly waiting for Lelouch's orders, and Lelouch didn't like the situation at all. It was on the tip of his tongue to order Suzaku to ignore any offers of friendship or alliance, and simply attack anyone who came against them, including Gino, Kirihara, or Jeremiah.

The look on Gino's face, pleading and hopeful, wasn't nearly enough to dissuade Lelouch on its own. He still didn't fully trust Gino, didn't really trust anyone except for Suzaku. Jeremiah had earned some significant bonus points for risking his own life to save Lelouch from the fog. But it was one thing to bring in Jeremiah, a man who had pledged allegiance and loyalty to Lelouch, and another altogether to ask Lelouch to join up with his crazy homicidal sister. It might have been different if Cornelia hadn't already tried to kill him, but she had and Lelouch would have been a fool to let her anywhere near him.

It was unfortunate, then, that Gino took advantage of Lelouch's momentary pause as he considered his options and moved between Suzaku and Cornelia and Guilford before Lelouch could get out a firm refusal.

"Please, Lelouch." Gino pled, desperate and a little afraid. "I've never asked you to trust me," he laughed ruefully, "because that would be nuts, but I'm going to ask you now." He took a step towards Lelouch, his arms outstretched in a gesture of pacification, bartering with goods he didn't actually have.

"Please, just trust me. Just this once."

Lelouch almost said no. In fact, in his mind, he did. But when he opened his mouth, the words that came out were very different than what he'd meant to say.

"Alright, Gino." Suzaku relaxed minutely at Lelouch's words, still poised to take action, but less overtly aggressive. "This is on you, then. The moment anyone does anything I don't like…"

Gino grinned. "Just checking, you're not including Suzaku and Jeremiah in that, you?"

Jeremiah frowned. "As if I would ever…"

"No one's implying anything, Jeremiah." Lelouch found himself reluctantly relieved that he hadn't bothered formulating a formal plan, because this was so chaotic compared to what he had expected that he wasn't sure he could have adapted.

Although, to be fair, having Cornelia and Guilford in their group changed surprisingly little. They had been caught up in the earthquake Jeremiah had sensed, but hadn't noticed any other peculiarities around the island. The observations from Gino, with the occasional dry addition from Lelouch, were all clearly new to them, although the accepted them readily enough. Cornelia had a brilliantly militaristic mind, easily managing to take down challenging enemies, but reasoning through the island itself, without making the assumption that everything was just the gamemakers making their lives miserable, hadn't even occurred to her.

There was a grudging respect that came with that realization and Cornelia, while a natural leader, seemed to be willing to feel her way through the dynamics of the group, rather than immediately taking control.

Unfortunately, the encounter and small spat that followed it, meant that by the time they got to the next section of the island, it had already been sealed off with a clear barrier that blacked out sound and smell, everything but light.

"This is the thing you saw by the bird area?" Gino asked.

Suzaku nodded. "You can't break or cut it, I tried. After a while," he shot a wry look at Lelouch, "about an hour or so, it'll just go away on its own."

And so they waited, unable to see anything but the unchanging peaceful vista behind the clear barrier.

They made it through to the next section in time to watch from a distance as animals too large and too cat-like to be wolves tore apart the male Victor from Area 10. Like the beast, the cat-wolves didn't need a physical barrier to keep them in their section. They could approach to within two or three of their enormous loping strides from the group, but they never crossed that invisible line. It didn't stop them form snarling at those they considered their prey, their sharp teeth gleaming in a grotesque sneer from their blood-soaked maws, their eyes less feral and predatory and more insane and intelligently cruel.

Lelouch had seen enough death in his time that he'd though nothing could touch him anymore. But after watching that vicious and bloody death, he found that he didn't have the stomach for any further exploration.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one.

"We should find a location between two relatively safe areas and make camp there," Cornelia said.

Lelouch swallowed back some bile, and nodded. It might be true that knowledge was power, but Lelouch would have chosen ignorance over any knowledge that would give him the type of nightmares he knew he would have after watching such a gory, pointless death.

If he even survived to have those nightmares.

They backtracked to their old camp in the fog section, further inland, closer to the centre of the island. Given that the sheet of the areas seemed to follow the pie-piece pattern, the further inland they went, the easier it would be to move from piece to piece. They still had several hours until the fog returned, and if they ran the other way, towards where the birds had been, they could keep safe. Besides, the camp was the most defensible location they'd found yet. It had only been two days, not even, and it was almost starting to feel like a home.

But Lelouch had never had to share his home with this many people before.

It was a little interesting, watching people form into their groups. Suzaku, naturally, stuck right beside Lelouch, as close as he could, while Jeremiah loomed over them both, quietly, if severely, attentive. Kirihara and Gino, on the other hand, split away from each other. Kirihara went with Cornelia and Guilford, who had staked out a comfortable vantage point over the rest of the forest, and also the rest of the group, while Gino moved closer to Suzaku and Lelouch, cheerfully acting as if that was his natural place.

Lelouch wasn't willing to get into the necessary argument to dissuade him. Besides, as much as he disliked having Gino act as though he belonged with them, he liked the idea of him beside Cornelia and at their backs even less. Nevertheless, he did nothing to make Gino feel welcome, ignoring him if not overtly pushing him away.

It was just as well that Lelouch refused to let Gino distract him. Despite choosing separate groups, most of Lelouch's and Cornelia's attention remained fixed on each other. Lelouch was still trying to figure out why Cornelia had agreed to join them, and Cornelia was eyeing Lelouch as if to ensure that he wouldn't have the chance to make the first move. The mistrust between them was practically palpable, but it wasn't turning into outright aggression, which was better than Lelouch had honestly expected.

The seven of them spent the rest of the day awkwardly working together or avoiding each other. All of Lelouch's daggers were used to tap water from the trees, and even then they could only barely keep up with the demand of everyone's thirst. Cornelia and Guilford were adequate hunters, Gino mentioned he'd found muscles and clams and went to retrieve them with Jeremiah as lookout, and Kirihara's small, smokeless fires were perfect for cooking what they hunted and gathered.

After they'd set up the water spouts, Lelouch and Suzaku found a little nook away from everyone else and cuddled up together. Suzaku had almost volunteered to go with Cornelia and Guilford, but Lelouch's sharp glare made him back off, and suggest instead that he might guard the camp. Lelouch might have been a little disturbed at how easy and smoothly Suzaku dissembled on demand, where before he was almost painfully honest and earnest, but Suzaku's gradually deteriorating morality was the least of his concerns at the moment.

"I don't like this."

Suzaku chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around Lelouch, so that Lelouch's back was pressed fully against Suzaku's front. "You don't like anything."

"I like _you_." There was nothing to gain from playing true-lovers for the Pendragon audience, with the lack of sponsors and gifts, but Suzaku had a fondness for the occasional slip of sappiness and Lelouch was in a mood to indulge him. "It's just everything else I don't like."

"We could leave," Suzaku offered quietly. "I know there's supposed to be safety in numbers, but… we could leave, Lelouch. Just the two of us."

It was tempting, _so_ tempting, especially with Suzaku's arms wrapped around him, his warm breath against Lelouch's neck. "I'd like _that_ ," Lelouch said, leaning back and presenting his neck to be kissed and nibbled at, an offer Suzaku eagerly accepted. "Hmm… that's nice. But would you be okay with abandoning Gino?"

"Sure," Suzaku said. "It's not like I especially wanted to join up with him in the first place."

"Really?" Lelouch asked sceptically. "You seemed pretty chummy with him when we first arrived on the island."

Suzaku shrugged. "We watched each other's back, yeah, but I just needed him until I could find you." Lelouch could feel Suzaku's lips turn up against his neck. "I've found you now. That's all I could ever need."

Lelouch leaned back and closed his eyes. "You'd do it, wouldn't you? Whatever I wanted, you'd follow passively along, faithfully by my side."

"Yup."

"Have I told you recently that you're an idiot?"

"Nope."

"Consider yourself told." Lelouch sighed. _This_ was the main condition he had to work against. The island's threats and the other Victors were nothing against Suzaku's foolish desire to serve Lelouch, as if that was his main purpose. And yet, Lelouch was sure, Suzaku's unquestioning loyalty would snap like a brittle twig once Lelouch started manipulating matters so that Suzaku was the one with the best chance of survival. Oddly enough, the situation wasn't that different from the previous Hunger Games; Lelouch couldn't work _with_ Suzaku, not if he wanted Suzaku to make it out alive, and was forced to work with others, _around_ Suzaku.

The sun started setting, and Lelouch and Suzaku settled in for the anthem and parade of dead Tributes. Lelouch turned away, burying his face against Suzaku's neck. "Tomorrow."

"Hmm?"

"If nothing changes, we'll go off on our own tomorrow. I just want the chance to figure Cornelia out. Either way, we'll leave during the evening fog, find another defensible place to camp. Just the two of us."

Suzaku nodded. "Alright." Lelouch rolled his eyes at Suzaku's easy obedience, but didn't bother addressing it directly. Suzaku's arms were warm around him and Lelouch could feel the day's fatigue sapping the strength from his limbs, and all he wanted to do was fall asleep in his lover's arms.

As if reading his mind, Suzaku settled back against the uneven ground, shifting Lelouch until he was curled up on Suzaku's chest, using him as a mattress. Lelouch sighed and snuggled in closer, already feeling his eyelids dropping. "I love you."

Suzaku kissed the top of Lelouch's head. "Love you too."

"An' when we get away, I'll show you how much," Lelouch mumbled as he drifted off to sleep. The last thing he remembered was Suzaku's hand tightening over his hip and then relaxing with a disappointed sigh.

He woke up, heart racing, what must have been hours later. The thin light of the moon dimly illuminated the clearing through the trees, just enough that Lelouch could make out shapes and shades, unfortunately unable to distinguish any colours or details. He could see Gino and Guilford curled up to sleep on opposite sides of the clearing, Gino's bright hair setting him apart from the others and Guilford's long, lanky frame clearly identifying him. While Kirihara and Cornelia were more difficult to make out, Lelouch could see their silhouettes at the periphery of the clearing, standing guard over the small clearing on opposite sides.

Lelouch untangled himself from Suzaku's arms as gently and patiently as possible, making sure not to wake him up. He crawled through the terrain, careful where he placed his foot in the very dim and unilluminating moonlight.

He made his way to Cornelia's location, not even bothering to try to sneak up on her as he could tell that she was aware of his presence long before she turned to look at him.

"What do you want?" Cornelia's demanded, her voice low and hushed.

Lelouch sat down next to her, carefully positioned so that she wouldn't have to turn her eyes away from her surveillance in order to speak to him.

"I want to talk to you about Suzaku."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed, and her tone clearly indicated what she thought of Lelouch's conversation choice. "What about him?"

"Any anger you feel towards him for Euphemia's murder is misplaced." Cornelia didn't interrupt, so at least she was likely listening. "It was my carelessness that got her killed, and Suzaku has just as much cause to blame me as you do. Any grudges you hold, should be held against me."

"And what makes you think I'm holding a grudge at all?" she asked softly.

"I would, if someone had hurt Nunnally," Lelouch said simply. "And, of course, there was that incident where you tried to kill me."

Cornelia snorted. "If I'd wanted to kill you, I can assure you that you would be dead right now. I only wanted to impress upon you that your carelessness and poor judgement had a price."

Lelouch wanted to argue that it wasn't entirely his fault. He and Euphemia had been sent into the games together, something that never should have happened. In terms of poor judgement and bad planning, whoever had chosen to send two Britannian children, Euphy and Nunnally, to participate in the Hunger Games, was as much at fault as Lelouch.

But that was dodging the actual issue. His main concern was with ensuring that Cornelia's grief didn't affect Suzaku's chance of survival.

"Suzaku is a good ally. He's strong, and he's clever enough at improvisation, and he's honest enough that he won't let you down when you need him. You would do well to keep him on your side."

"Is that what this is about?" The light was too dim to make out Cornelia's actual expression, but her tone was laden with suspicion. "Are you asking for leniency for your lover? Or are you simply planning for any and every eventuality you can think of?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Does it matter? You know I'm right."

Cornelia leaned back. "You are. Suzaku is a good fighter and an excellent hunter. Any group he's a part of is likely to live longer, and he's unlikely to be the member who first betrays the rest, although his reflexes make it likely he'd be the second." She turned towards Lelouch. "But the accuracy of your assessment isn't in question. What I'm wondering is why _now_."

"You just joined up with us a few hours ago."

"Yes, but it's the middle of the night. You should be sleeping safe and snug in Suzaku's arms. Why have you come to me now?"

Lelouch ducked his head to hide his irritated expression. "I'm sorry for disturbing you." He made to get up and Cornelia's hand shot out, latching onto his wrist like a vice.

"You needed to get away from him, didn't you? Because if he knew that you were here, discussing this with me, he'd be very… _disappointed_ , wouldn't he?"

Lelouch tried to pull away, but it was impossible. "Will you tell him?"

"Ah… now we get to it. Something you _truly_ want, and something I am willing to use against you." Cornelia tugged Lelouch closer, pulling him off balance so that their faces were inches away from each other, and the silvery moonlight glinted off the teeth of her feral smile. " _Now_ we can begin to negotiate."

Cornelia released him the moment Lelouch tried to wrench his arm free, and he nearly fell back in his desperation to get away from her. "I… I'm not…"

She looked at him, all grin and glare gone from her face, leaving behind only a calm kind of patience. Lelouch was uncomfortably reminded of Schneizel's measuring regard and tried to shake that memory off.

"What would you have of me, Lelouch? My promise not to harm you or Suzaku? You have it." Cornelia waited patiently, but all Lelouch could do was swallow hard and turn away. "But, of course, you can't trust it. There is no promise, no guarantee, I could make that could convince you that I truly mean the two of you no harm. Euphy… Euphy wouldn't have wanted that."

"She can't want anything anymore," Lelouch said hoarsely, his voice nearly breaking. "She's dead now." And, likely, soon he would be as well. Luck could only carry him so far, and between Cornelia and Guilford and Gino, as well as the remaining five other Victors, Lelouch was fairly certain his wouldn't stretch to the end.

But Suzaku's could. That was Lelouch's greatest hope now. That he would join Euphemia and finally find out what made his sister such a wonderful person, and Suzaku would return to Nunnally and Marianne, would return to Kallen's side and to comfort Milly, and everything would continue on. There were worse endings, endings where Suzaku died as well, and Lelouch was determined to hang around as long as possible to ensure that didn't happen.

That wasn't how he phrased to Cornelia, however, despite the fact that he was reasonably sure his elder half-sister understood altruism in the truest sense, seeing it as she had remained in Area 1 rather than using her victory and blood ties to get her into Pendragon and at the side of either Schneizel or the Emperor himself. Lelouch didn't know why he was so sure, for all he knew such an arrangement wasn't even possible, but he was absolutely certain that she had chosen Euphemia over a life of comfort and normalcy.

And it had cost her, clearly. "Euphy was never coming out of the games alive. We talked over the past few years, before she was sent away, about what to do if… _when_ she was reaped. She was supposed to wait out the other Tributes and hope for a natural disaster she could weather. There was never any chance that she could actually learn to harm another human being. But that plan fell through when she encountered Suzaku." Cornelia sighed. "Her best hope was being in a game run by Clovis. He's always been protective of his younger half-siblings." That was something Lelouch hadn't known. "He was the best chance I had of protecting Euphy."

"And Suzaku is the best chance I have of protecting Nunnally." Lelouch didn't beg. Not even when playing the subservient role with Luciano had he lowered himself to pleading. He wasn't intending to start now, but his desire to have Cornelia know and understand what he hoped to gain from Suzaku's survival, something that would have interested them both, just as protecting Euphemia would have interested him as well when she had been alive. "No matter what happens, whether I come back from these games alive or if I die here, Nunnally will be at risk. Suzaku is the only person I trust to keep her safe."

"What about Marianne?" Cornelia asked, and Lelouch had a moment of complete shock. He hadn't had any idea that Cornelia even knew about Marianne. How could she have known, growing up in a completely separate Area? Lelouch and Nunnally knew who their siblings were, but only through the Hunger Games.

Lelouch frowned. Perhaps that was how Cornelia knew of Marianne. Through the interviews done of the Tributes' families. "My mother needs Suzaku's protection just as much as Nunnally does."

Cornelia laughed. "I'm sure most boys have an idealized version of their mother that they cling to, but even from what little I know of her, I can't imagine Marianne needing anyone's protection."

It wasn't that Lelouch didn't think that his mother wasn't formidable, it was just that the ire of the Emperor being directed at her was more than Lelouch could imagine even Marianne could overcome alone. Suzaku, while not as crafty as Marianne, would at least have the advantage of having dealt directly with the Emperor himself, as well as the actual experience of having taken a life. Marianne might have been a fierce protector of her children, loving and self-sacrificial almost to a fault. But that didn't mean that she could make the cold-blooded decision to take someone's life for a greater good. Lelouch could easily imagine Suzaku shedding blood for Nunnally; it was harder for him to imagine his mother doing the same.

"I cannot promise to protect your mother and sisters like Suzaku could," Cornelia said. "When I leave here, I will return to Area 1 and they will still, presumably, be in Area 11. The only thing that I can, and will, promise is that I won't do anything to directly or indirectly harm either of them. That includes acting against you or Suzaku, even at the cost of my own life."

Somehow, unlike Cornelia's previous promise, Lelouch found himself believing this one. Cornelia knew about Marianne, and she seemed to care about Nunnally, if only from a distance. She had lost her younger sister, publicly and painfully, and Lelouch knew full well that if he'd lost Nunnally, he would have looked for comfort in his other similarly innocent siblings, like Euphy. It made sense that Cornelia would do the same, protecting the image of Euphy by doing what she could for Nunnally. She might have had absolutely no interest in sparing Suzaku for any other reason than for Nunnally's sake, but that reason was enough to convince Lelouch that Cornelia was as genuine as she could be.

It was tempting to leave it at that. To allow himself the luxury of faith, of believing in someone. He might have, had it been his life on the line.

But it was Suzaku's.

"Thank you," Lelouch said, and he meant it. If Cornelia was lying, if she was attempting to deceive him into lowering his guard, he would feel foolish. But he genuinely didn't think she was. Lelouch was willing to throw his life away for Suzaku's, for Nunnally's, but if he hadn't had them to worry about, then throwing his life away for the greater good, for the protection of innocents, would have been his next choice. He believed Cornelia because he could see himself in her.

He believed her. But he couldn't afford to trust her.

Cornelia, as Lelouch had expected she would, seemed to understand that completely. "You're welcome, Lelouch." She turned away, her body language and tone of voice clearly dismissing him. "Shouldn't you return to Suzaku before he finds you missing?"

"Indeed," Lelouch agreed, standing awkwardly as he realized his left foot had fallen partially asleep while he'd talked with Cornelia. He hadn't thought he'd been there that long, but clearly they'd had more to say than he'd anticipated. "Thank you again for agreeing to talk to me."

He hobbled back to where Suzaku was waiting for him, unsurprised to see Suzaku wide awake and sitting up.

"Had to take a leak?" Suzaku asked blandly.

Lelouch didn't even bother putting effort into his lie. "Yes." He settled against the trunk of a tree and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. He hoped Suzaku got the message than any further conversation would be unwelcome.

Suzaku sighed and shuffled over beside Lelouch, draping an arm over his shoulder and pulling his head against his chest. Lelouch relaxed, relieved that Suzaku was seemingly willing to let this go, when Suzaku pressed his lips against Lelouch's hair and breathed in to speak.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Lelouch huffed a laugh. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

"It should," Suzaku said. "I shouldn't have to remind you. And yet…"

"And yet," Lelouch echoed. "You needn't worry, Suzaku. I know what I'm doing."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Suzaku said, but he didn't follow that up with anything else and Lelouch was more than willing to let Suzaku have the last word as long as it meant the subject was over.


	14. Betrayal?

The peaceful, if uneasy, truce of silence didn't last past breakfast.

"We need to get to higher ground," Cornelia said as soon as they finished the last of the charred meat from the previous day's hunt and all of the water that had accumulated overnight. "We're in a good position to start an offence, and hiding down here isn't going to do any of us any good."

Gino was already nodding, and Suzaku shifted awkwardly, probably remembering when he and Lelouch had gone on the offensive last year and each had ended up killing someone, while Rolo protected them both and then…

"No," Lelouch said firmly. "There's no reason to go looking for trouble."

"Are you just being contrary for the sake of being contrary?" Guilford demanded, as Cornelia rolled her eyes and Gino actually slapped his own forehead in incredulity. "I've never met such an _ungrateful_ little–"

"Hey!" Suzaku snapped, as Jeremiah leaned forward threateningly. "Back off. There's more than one option for our next move."

Cornelia turned her attention to him. "Oh? And what would those other options be? All I've heard from your side is what we _shouldn't_ do."

 _Your side_. She had a point – the division between the two halves of the group were once again, now that they were fed, stark and unavoidable. It seemed the only power that could unite them was the gnawing emptiness of their stomachs.

Lelouch realized how little he would miss them once he and Suzaku left. Even Jeremiah's unreasoning loyalty was a little uncomfortable, if a little flattering.

"We have everything we need here," Lelouch said, his voice as calm and reasonable as he could make it. "Water, food, shelter, cover, and a good knowledge of the surrounding geography. There's no reason to move unless the gamemakers force our hands."

Kirihara shook his head. "That's precisely why we should move. Not only are the other Tributes doubtlessly planning their own strategy against us, the situation can change from stable to unstable at the gamemaker's whims. If we move first, at least we won't be panicking."

"Ah, the illusion of control." Lelouch couldn't help the sneer that crossed his lips. Luciano and Adriana had fallen prey to that, and look where they had ended up. "The gamemakers are no less likely to interrupt any elaborate plan you've cooked up than they are to interrupt a restful peace that we could use to recover. The only difference is resting will give us more energy to run or fight with."

"We could split up–" Gino started to suggest, before being cut off by an angry sound from Cornelia and Guilford. His eyes widened. "Or we could do both! Hunt and rest for a bit before taking a quick reconnaissance around the island and then coming back? That way the risk'll be minimal, but we'll still be getting more information."

Lelouch wondered if they were even bothering to hide the fact that they were conspiring together.

 _Cornelia's with us_.

It wasn't the first time Lelouch's thoughts had returned to the short, imprecise letter Gino had slipped him when he'd visited them back in Pendragon. He must have known that Lelouch's paranoia wouldn't have allowed for a simple, positive interpretation of that note, and yet he'd given it to him anyway. Lelouch wasn't even sure who 'us' actually was, or how Gino had come to the conclusion that they were allies in the first place. Area 4 had revolted, although not as violently as some of the other Areas, but Area 1 had not.

Also, Cornelia had a very personal, very _violent_ vendetta against Lelouch, despite their conversation last night. Lelouch wasn't shrugging that off.

But it was clear that, no matter where Lelouch and Suzaku stood, Gino and Cornelia were indeed partners in a conspiracy.

Lelouch had had enough.

"That seems reasonable," he said sweetly. "I just don't want to bite off more than we can chew." That was a Pendragon saying, something that had amused and annoyed Lelouch in equal measure when he'd first heard it. Trust Pendragon to use overwhelming greed as a euphemism for being overwhelmed.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed at him, and Lelouch wondered if he'd been _too_ agreeable. "Very well." Cornelia sounded rather less than trusting, but at least she seemed to accept Lelouch's answer. For now. "If Suzaku wouldn't mind accompanying Guilford and myself on this morning's hunt?"

Lelouch felt his own eyes narrow at that. He was less than useless in a hunt, which meant that Cornelia was trying to separate him and Suzaku. Probably trying to prevent them from doing something like running off together.

Which, considering that that had been _exactly_ what Lelouch had planned, was a reasonable precaution. Still irritating.

Suzaku shot a cautious glance his way before nodding. "Sure." He kissed the side of Lelouch's head. "We'll talk when I get back, kay?"

Fair enough. A plan deferred wasn't necessarily a plan abandoned. It would be more complicated to slip away while marching around the island in a group, but not that much more complicated, and Lelouch was now convinced it would be worth it to get away from the rest of their 'allies'.

He spent his time with Jeremiah (Gino and Kirihara had gone diving for clams or something) setting up the water spouts again, and filling the larger leaves. They'd found vines that could be woven carefully though the leaves to keep them in a bowl shape and allow the water to be carefully carried, but they hadn't tested that out yet. Lelouch kept a few daggers in their sheaths for when he and Suzaku ran off, not trusting that the leaf bags would work well enough to carry water to wherever they'd end up.

It was dull work, and frustrating since every time the vines ripped through the leaves, Lelouch needed to find another one to start over. Lelouch was certain that whatever Suzaku was doing was doubtless more interesting and less enraging.

Then again, he was with Cornelia and Guilford, so maybe not the latter.

"Lelouch…" Jeremiah sounded a little awkward using Lelouch's given name. They'd gone through a few honorifics ("Your Highness", "My Lady") and only Lelouch practically pleading with him to be less formal convinced him to try a less formal form of address.

But he was still unspeakably awkward. Lelouch found it to be a slight improvement on his previous obsequiousness.

Except for when he interrupted Lelouch's delicate weaving and caused him to tear the leaf. "Dammit." He took a deep breath and reached for another leaf. "What is it, Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah met his eyes. "You seem upset and distracted." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Is it because your lover is alone with your sister and her lover?"

Lelouch latched onto that excuse. In all honesty, he wasn't remotely worried about Suzaku – despite appearances, Suzaku wasn't an idiot and he knew full well how little he should trust anyone other than Lelouch. Add to that the fact that Lelouch genuinely thought that Cornelia was actually trustworthy, for reasons of her own, and Lelouch was reasonably comfortable with Suzaku's safety with her.

He trusted her enough to know that she was plotting something, and she wouldn't move on that prematurely. Particularly while Lelouch had access to the only available drinking water and a working knowledge of natural poisons.

But his true concerns – how to get away from everyone without being noticed, where they should hide once they separated from the rest of the group, what _exactly_ Cornelia and Gino were planning – were not ones he wanted to share. "I always miss him when he's out of my sight." It was important to keep any lies as truthful as possible. "Suzaku's very important to me."

Jeremiah nodded. "As you are to him, I imagine." His voice held the faintest tinge of doubt and Lelouch was quick to nod in agreement. "Then nothing should part you two from each other."

"Thank you," Lelouch said. "That means a lot." Jeremiah had almost died in his Hunger Games, needing a full month of extensive healing before he could be parade out in public again, and there seemed to be some residual effects from that. It made his worldview remarkably simple. "We haven't had much time alone together since this whole thing started."

Jeremiah might have been simple, but he wasn't an idiot either. "I assume that your sister's plans will interfere with any alone time?"

Lelouch sighed dramatically. "Probably." He'd never asked how Jeremiah knew he and Cornelia were related. It seemed to be the least well-kept secret of the games. "If only someone could stage a distraction…"

"Say no more!" Jeremiah declared. "Watch closely, my… Lelouch. You shall have your distraction!"

It was almost too easy. "I knew I could count on you, Jeremiah."

They abandoned their leaves before the fog rolled in, strolling over to the water's edge where Gino and Kirihara had already gathered a decent-sized meal of shellfish. "I think I could get used to it here," Gino said as soon as they were in ear shot. "Now that we've figured out the place, all we'd have to worry about is sleeping in too late."

"That and the other Victors," Lelouch said. "And the gamemakers."

Gino shrugged. "Yeah, they do throw a wrench into things." He cracked open one of the more warped shells. "Oyster?"

It had only been a few hours since breakfast, and Lelouch remembered how salty those sea creatures could be. "Not yet. We should share evenly once we get to camp."

Gino shrugged again, seemingly back to his carefree self. "Then I wonder what else we could do to wait out the fog before we can return…" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Lelouch resisted the impulse to punch him. That was probably the reaction he was trying to get, anyway.

It was a good thing that Jeremiah didn't appear to get the innuendo, although he certainly kept a closer eye on Gino while they waited than he normally would have.

The fog passed a few minutes before the beast was released on the section of the island that they waited on. The moment it started dissipating, they gathered up the fruits of Gino and Kirihara's labour and made their way back to the camp. Lelouch felt that they were, in fact, adapting amazingly well – they were reasonably well-fed, well-rested, and the horrors of the island were manageable. Gino was right; there was no reason why they couldn't just rest comfortably here until forced into action.

Which made his insistence on following Cornelia's aggressive plan even more questionable.

There was another reason Lelouch was reluctant to take out the other Victors. The moment they were gone, Cornelia and Guilford; Gino and Kirihara; even possibly Jeremiah would turn on them and Lelouch wasn't looking forward to that. As little as he trusted Gino, he felt a sense of indebtedness to him and Kirihara for keeping him and Suzaku alive during the early part of the Hunger Games, and Cornelia, despite everything, was still his sister.

Surely the gamemakers would give them one day of relative peace. This was only the third day; surely the audience wasn't that bored so soon?

Whether they were or weren't, Lelouch knew the moment Cornelia returned that there would be no further negotiating. After they ate, they would be leaving, as a group, to explore the island and try to find the other Victors. As much as Lelouch wanted to argue otherwise, he recognised the determined stubborn look on Cornelia's face and knew that, if he didn't want to burn all his bridges, he would have to keep quiet and follow orders.

At least until he could sneak away with Suzaku.

The meal was good – between the tree rats and the shellfish, there was a lot of protein and varying textures and tastes. As a special treat, Suzaku had convinced Cornelia to hunt some of those awful birds, somehow nabbing three just as the barrier fell and just before the birds disappeared.

They tasted gamey and tough and nearly flavourless and Lelouch savoured every bite. So did Gino.

After drinking their fill, there were still four leaves of water left, about two cups in each. Kirihara and Lelouch each took two, leaving the rest of the group with their hands free for fighting. Cornelia led, with Suzaku and Gino flanking her, and Jeremiah and Guilford took the rear. It was well-organized so that everyone had someone they could trust at their back, carrying supplies, leading the way, but it separated Lelouch and Suzaku again, making it even more challenging to slip away unnoticed.

Lelouch could only hope that Jeremiah's distraction would work.

As they wandered, Lelouch began to see the advantage of higher ground. The camp they'd stayed in had been well hidden and cozy, but if they'd been ambushed properly – with fire and distance weapons – it could have ended up turning into a death trap. There were good lookout points around it, which made ambushing more difficult, but now that they were moving through the higher ground, Lelouch could appreciate just how vulnerable they had been in their little camp, and how much more of an appreciation for the island as a whole he was getting from this vantage point.

They stopped at the sound of a nearby earthquake, taking a rest and some water as they waited it out before continuing. Lelouch took the chance to catch Suzaku's eye and nod subtly as he drank. Suzaku moved over beside him and kissed his forehead before wrapping his arm around Lelouch in a half-hug. "Whenever you're ready."

Lelouch leaned against him and closed his eyes. It wouldn't be easy, but…

The sound of a branch cracking made everyone jump. It wasn't close, but it was sharp and clear and echoless, pointing the exact direction it came from. None of the animals, not even the huge cat-wolves, would have made such an obvious noise. Cornelia grinned, feral and sharp. "Suzaku, Gino, Guilford, come. Jeremiah, stay back and guard the others."

Lelouch clutched at Suzaku's arm. "Don't leave me."

Suzaku gently pulled away. "You'll be fine; Jeremiah's right here, Lelouch." He gave Lelouch a quick kiss. "I'll be right back, don't worry."

"I'm not…" Lelouch sighed as Suzaku dashed out of hearing range. "…worried about _me_ , you idiot."

But it was too late. Suzaku was gone, taking the left side with Guilford as Cornelia and Gino took the right. Jeremiah, clearly more focused on Lelouch's well-being than Lelouch was at that moment, hustled Lelouch and Kirihara back into the deep brush, where they had more cover. Lelouch drew his daggers, more out of irritation than anything else, and turned to Kirihara.

"I don't suppose that might have been a distraction or a trap to separate us, hmm?"

Kirihara frowned. "I'm sure Cornelia thought that through." He glanced up at the sun, wincing. "…we're running out of time."

 _For what_? The Earthquake was gaining in intensity, working its way towards its peek, at half past the hour. Earthquake at one o'clock, at two… "What happens at two?" It was one of the four times and locations that they hadn't plotted out.

Kirihara smiled reassuringly. "There's no need to worry; we haven't crossed the midpoint of the island yet, whatever happens will happen elsewhere."

"Do you think they're leading Suzaku and Cornelia to it, though?" The more Lelouch thought about it, the worse an idea running off after previous Victors (it was a trap, _of course_ it was a trap) seemed. "It _was_ a trap!" Lelouch climbed blindly to his feet, drawing one of his daggers. "I have to–" _what_? There was nothing Lelouch; weak, slow, untrained Lelouch; could do. Other than catch up to the others (maybe, if they weren't far) and let them know they were running into a trap.

Or maybe that was the point. Maybe that was a trap for _Suzaku_ , while meanwhile, Lelouch…

Kirihara reached for Lelouch. "Calm down! They're professionals, they know what they're doing…" Lelouch slapped his hand away and backed up, getting as much distance between Kirihara and himself as he could. If this was a trap for Lelouch, that meant he couldn't trust any of them. He needed to get to Suzaku.

"Lelouch?" Jeremiah dropped his guard, turning back towards his charges as Lelouch shuffled back, eyes wide. "You have to stay down so I can protect you."

"Protect me?" Lelouch demanded incredulously. "When you've done nothing but try to replace Suzaku at my side, to lull us into a false sense of security." He didn't have time for this. "I'm leaving and if you try to stop me…"

He didn't get the chance to follow through on any threat. Before he could finish his sentence, Jeremiah's throat grew an arrow, and then another.

There was just enough time for his face to register surprise before blood was spurting from his neck and he collapsed, first to his knees, then face-first on the ground. This wasn't the first time Lelouch had seen death, but it was the first time it had happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly. Even Luciano hadn't so quickly and subtly gone from alive to not-alive. It took Lelouch a moment to process the change. Then the inevitable cannon fired in the distance, signalling Jeremiah's death.

Kirihara, whether he had been expecting it, or whether he was just more used to such things over his long life, reacted faster, pulling Lelouch down under what cover they could find and squinting into the forest, searching for their attackers.

"What do you see?" Lelouch hissed, coming back to himself and gathering his wits. For his own part, he couldn't make out anything but the movement of the tree leaves, an arrhythmic susurration that distracted him with every rustle and shiver.

"Nothing," Kirihara murmured back, his voice low and steady. "But they're out there."

Lelouch's grip on his dagger was slick and slippery. He braced it against his stomach as his heart beat in his chest, waiting, watching, like vulnerable prey.

"I'm sorry."

"You panicked, it happens, stay focused," Kirihara snapped. "We'll talk _after_." He turned away. "If there is an after." Lelouch's stomach churned with anxiety and guilt.

The expected violence of a second attack didn't come. Instead, the sound of the wind whistling through the trees gave way to the steadier sound of approaching footsteps, at least three pairs, from three different directions.

Lelouch considered throwing his dagger, but he only had two others and he… wasn't very good at throwing them. Or much else with them.

If this came down to fighting, with Jeremiah already down, they were done for.

Apparently, their attackers had the same thought. They walked out from the cover of the forest, well-armed and confident, converging on Lelouch and Kirihara's hiding spot.

Xingke, Marika, Kewell. Area 9 and what remained of Area 7. Generally underdogs, it took a special kind of person to emerge from those Areas as a Victor of the Hunger Games. From what Lelouch knew, the main thing that made Marika and Kewell special was that they were siblings, unflinchingly loyal and ruthless towards anyone other than each other. Xingke, on the other hand, was disturbingly competent, brilliant and strong and as close to a perfect Victor as these games had seen. He'd won without sponsor support, without alliances, without anything other than his native intelligence and a cold, systematic approach to strategy that left over half the Tributes who went in with him dead at his feet, by his hand.

Lelouch had been wary of Cornelia on a personal level. He was wary of Xingke on a purely practical one.

As the two Area 9 siblings approached from either side, Lelouch and Xingke locked gazes as the lone Area 7 survivor stopped just in front of where Lelouch and Kirihara were hiding. "Take Lelouch. Kill the old man."

Kidnapping, bait, trap, Suzaku. Fragments of thoughts raced through Lelouch's head as he realized what Xingke had planned. Rather than facing him head-on, Xingke was assuring himself of the upper hand by setting a trap. Which meant that Lelouch had been partially correct – Suzaku had been led away on purpose.

He was damned if he'd be used against Suzaku like that. Suzaku was getting out alive, no matter what the price, even if Lelouch had to die here to prevent him from being led to his death. Lelouch tightened his grip on his dagger and stepped in front of Kirihara.

"You little fool, _run_ ," Kirihara snapped. Lelouch faltered, his sudden fear-and-anger-fuelled bravery melting away. "Run fast and run far and don't let them catch you."

"Wha–"

"You've got your boy to keep safe." Kirihara grinned. "And I've still got some fight left in me yet. _Go_."

Lelouch hesitated once more, the thought of leaving an old man to cover his retreat going against what little pride he had left. But Kirihara pushed past him, his curved sword leading the way as he charged straight for Xingke. Amazingly enough, the first volley of blows left him standing, although bleeding from one arm, and left Xingke completely distracted. It was more than Lelouch could have hoped for, and he vowed silently to himself that he wouldn't waste the opportunity Kirihara had given him.

He ran.

There were ways of moving through the thick underbrush, techniques that allowed for conservation of energy as one loped and leapt and dodged brambles and shrubbery and low-lying branches. Lelouch knew none of them and his efforts could only be described as stumbling and clumsy as he ran through the forest as quickly as he could, nearly tripping dozens of times, and twisting his ankle once. The pain was negligible, irrelevant, but it was also distracting and Lelouch wasn't so good at racing through the forest that he could do it on autopilot.

Still, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He only had the approximate direction Suzaku had gone off in to follow, and follow it he did. He was racing against time as much as against his pursuers, as the longer the chase went on, the more likely it was that he'd end up lost or badly injured.

Or caught.

He could hear the laughter of the siblings chasing after him, as well as Kewell's barked orders and Marika's cheerful replies. This was a game to them, and Lelouch was the goal. He needed to get to Suzaku, or even Cornelia, before they caught him. He didn't have to run forever, just long enough…

Another cannon rang out. Kirihara or Xingke.

Probably Kirihara.

Wherever Suzaku was, he'd know that Victors were dying, he'd want to return to Lelouch. He'd head back to where he'd left Lelouch, which meant he'd likely be moving towards Lelouch's current location as well. As long as they didn't pass each other, they'd find each other. They'd always find each other. Suzaku had promised…

A harsh cry of triumph from just behind Lelouch's left ear and the sharp jerk of a hand grabbing his hair broke through his desperate hope, and he finally stumbled and fell, with his attacker going down with him, the hand in his hair tightening as an arm wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air.

The last thought he had before everything turned grey and then black was that at least he was presenting as a girl, so it wasn't as embarrassing being taken down by one.


	15. Reset

The moment Lelouch regained consciousness, he looked blearily towards the sun. It hadn't moved from its position, as far as he could tell, so he had likely only been out for a few minutes, half of an hour at most. He could hear the rumble of the earthquake, either much more distant or significantly weaker, and Lelouch estimated he'd been out for about fifteen minutes, and there was likely only another fifteen or so until the earthquake stopped and the next section started.

With that logic out of the way, Lelouch could focus on more important things. Like how he couldn't move his arms or legs, and what an awkward position he was in, and how stiff and sore he felt.

"Hnnn…"

"He's waking up."

"Good." That was undeniably Xingke's voice. So Kirihara was dead, then. Lelouch let himself care about that for a moment while his head emerged from its fog. "Make sure he's secured."

Hands gripped Lelouch's shoulders, pulling and tugging at whatever was restraining him as his head lolled and he finally managed to blink his eyes into focusing. Xingke was watching him appraisingly, with a dark sort of satisfaction that sent a thrill of fear up Lelouch's spine. His muscles tensed up instinctively, but he held himself back from fighting. He might not have much in the way of strength or flexibility, but there was no point in using what little he had before there was a real chance at escape.

"He's roped up tight," Kewell reported. "Any sign of the others?"

"Nah," Marika said from somewhere above their heads. "Ougi and Rakshata did a good job of driving them out of range and they haven't triggered any of the security alarms yet."

"…kill you."

Xingke's attention returned to Lelouch. "What?"

Lelouch swallowed against the nausea and pain. "Suzaku'll kill you all." It felt good to get that out. This was, apart from Suzaku's death, the worst-case scenario, but even if Lelouch died here, he was confident that Suzaku would feel free to let himself go and slaughter everyone who stood in his way. Lelouch might not be there to see it, but Suzaku would do everything he could to win and get back to Area 11, if only to wreck vengeance on Lelouch's killers.

The thought struck Lelouch as hilarious. All the plotting and planning that had been thwarted at every turn thanks to their 'allies', and Lelouch's goals would be achieved, not through any effort of his own, but through being victimized.

Again.

He started laughing, despite the fact that it made his headache worse and his vision swim. The hysterical edge to his voice just made him laugh harder, less controlled. Kewell backhanded him, casually cruel and hard enough to shock Lelouch into stopping. Or at least the hysterical laughter subsided into silent convulsions, still filled with dark humour, easily overcoming the pain in his joints and face.

Xingke loomed over Lelouch and the odd angle made Lelouch finally realize how, exactly, he was restrained. They'd found a tree bent at just enough of an angle that Lelouch's spine was stretched backwards over it, his hips naturally canting upwards to ease the strain on his lumbar spine. His hands were tied simply on either side of the tree, tethered with a thick rope that had no give to it. His feet, braced at about shoulder-length apart, were also tied, but individually and with enough laxity that he could move them a little, although not nearly enough to get any kind of leverage.

He noticed, with some relief, that he was still clothed. Trussed up like a sacrificial whore, he was yet untouched.

Xingke smiled, as if reading his mind, and Lelouch realized that that could change at any moment. The thought was immensely amusing. "Feel free to take solace in the idea that your Suzaku will come save you," Xingke said, gentle and almost kind. "We're counting on him at least trying. But know this; he will fail. And he will fall. And it will be all for your sake."

"You underestimate him," Lelouch retorted, his crazed amusement turning fast into cold anger. "And you underestimate me."

Kewell laughed. "I fail to see how that's even _possible_. We've trussed you up good, and you've never been a physical threat to anyone who didn't already have their back turned towards you."

"Maybe we should gag her," Marika suggested. "Stop her from using her _feminine wiles_ on us." All three of them laughed.

Xingke shook his head. "No. I want to hear her as she watches her lover fall at our hands, out of love for her. I want to hear the despair and the fear when she realizes that she's helpless to do anything but scream as we tear away the only hope she had left." He leaned forward, pressing his body against Lelouch's leg, his groin rubbing at just the right angle of Lelouch's knee for Lelouch to realize that he was completely and utterly uninterested in anything sexual. His words whispered warmly over Lelouch's skin, caressing softly even as the impact of them hit harder than a ton of bricks. "You're poison, Lelouch. Every life you touch is worse off for it. If it hadn't been for you, for your idiotic ideas and the false hope you gave the Numbers, Tianzi would… would still…"

Lelouch's eyes widened at the realization that this wasn't just strategy. It was personal. "I… I'm sorry. I never intended–"

Xingke stood back and Lelouch flinched, anticipating another backhand. It never came, although Xingke's look of utter disdain hurt as much as any slap. "I don't doubt it. People like you never _intend_ to ruin lives, to end them. It's just a game to you, isn't it?"

"No," Lelouch said, meeting Xingke's eyes. "It's not. It's quite literally a matter of life and death, mine and Suzaku's. And I think you know… no, I _know_ you know what I mean. If you could have saved her, Tianzi, if you could have given your life up for hers, you would have."

"I never had that chance."

Lelouch nodded. "I did. And I gambled everything, even his life, _for_ everything. And I'm not sorry I won, no matter what the price, because he's still alive and we had a year together, and that's more than I ever…" Lelouch's voice broke. "I'll find a way. You _are_ underestimating me, and I'll find a way to keep Suzaku safe."

"It's too late for that," Kewell said. "Should have killed yourself before we could nab you."

Such a simple and straightforward solution. Lelouch could, hypothetically, admire its elegance while finding so many loopholes that he couldn't regret not using it. "He still would've come. If he'd had any hope, any at all, he would have come." Suzaku's determination was something Lelouch could always count on, for good or ill.

"Then he still would have died." Kewell shrugged. "There's no way he can take all three of us out, especially when we've got you to threaten. It's the perfect trap."

It was. For Suzaku, in any case. "Cornelia and Guilford and Gino?"

"Cornelia's too clever by far to fall for something like this, and she'll keep Guilford out as well. We're expecting them to be the last foes standing," Xingke explained easily. Well, Lelouch was literally a captive audience, why shouldn't Xingke take advantage of that? "Gino's always been a bit of a wild card. He might follow your boy, but we're more than ready for him as well."

Lelouch remembered Kirihara, bravely standing up to this butcher, trying to give Lelouch the chance to escape. "Did you leave Kirihara's body behind?"

"Yeah. No point in doing anything to it. Pendragon'll have picked him up already."

Then there'd be nothing distracting them from running after Lelouch. In fact, they could easily assume one of those cannons were for Lelouch and not Jeremiah or Kirihara. In that case, Suzaku could already be out looking for revenge rather than trying a foolish rescue mission. Lelouch desperately hoped so, since that would increase Suzaku's chances of victory, without Lelouch's own safety to distract him, considerably.

"Don't worry, though. Pendragon picks up the bodies, not the weapons. We've left more than enough clues that'll lead them straight to us, and after you."

There was that hope gone.

"Xingke! They're back at where I shot Jeremiah," Marika called. "They should pick up the trail quickly."

The earthquake finally stopped, leaving an unnerving silence in the wake of its constant low roar. With Kirihara fresh in Lelouch's mind, he recalled how anxious the old man was about time.

"What happens at two o'clock?"

Kewell shot Xingke a curious glance before turning back to Lelouch. "There's an electrical current that paralyses anyone in that area. Rakshata got more than one Tribute that way." He turned back to Xingke. "Are we dealing with her and Ougi before or after Cornelia?"

"Now that they've served their purposes, sooner rather than later," Xingke answered. "Cornelia and Guilford will take all our attention."

"And then what?" Lelouch asked. "Once all your enemies are gone, then what?"

Xingke and Kewell looked at each other. Kewell smiled. "What indeed?"

"Two against one seems fair," Xingke said, smiling back, all teeth. Lelouch suddenly realized how alliances worked – or at least how they were _supposed_ to work, with respect and cooperation and the regard one gives to valiant foes. They were planning on stabbing each other in the back, but they were at least upfront about it. They were using each other, but they were at least mutual about it.

It didn't seem like much, but to Lelouch it seemed almost healthy. Healthier than his alliance with Luciano had been, certainly. Healthier than whatever he and Suzaku had had with Gino and Cornelia.

Healthier, in a way, that his and Suzaku's overall relationship.

"It doesn't matter," Lelouch said, half to himself. "All that matters is that Suzaku gets out of here alive."

Xingke turned to him, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, but he never got to ask any questions.

"Uh, guys?" Marika's voice rang out uncertainly from the tree tops. "Something's happening. Did I miss a cannon?"

Lelouch's heart seized until Kewell responded. "No. What's up?"

"There's a… it doesn't look like the usual Pendragon corpsemobles. It's bigger and not nearly as shiny."

"Marika, describe _exactly_ what you're seeing," Xingke demanded.

"A ship. A flyer and a hoverer, dull grey. It's hanging over where I last saw Cornelia and the others."

Xingke turned to Lelouch. "What is this?"

Lelouch shook his head. "I have no idea." It was the truth. He couldn't honestly think of a single explanation for this. Even if Cornelia and Gino had truly banded together, this wasn't something they could pull off. This would have required someone from Pendragon; someone rich and powerful and clever and _desperate_. And why steal a few soldiers at so much risk? A few missing persons from each Area would go by barely noticed, and you could hardly amass an army that way. There was no reason for this to be happening, no explanation that Lelouch could come up with that made any kind of sense. And even if he could come up with something, there was no way of knowing if it was the truth or not.

But Xingke had no idea that Lelouch hadn't had any part in the planning or any knowledge of this strange development. He slammed his hand against the wood by Lelouch's head and leaned in. "What's happening?"

Lelouch laughed. There was no way out of this. "I don't know! If this was planned, then Cornelia's decision to traipse about the forest after other possible Victors makes no sense. If this _wasn't_ planned, then it's a hell of a coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidence," Xingke hissed menacingly.

"I don't either," Lelouch said. "But the alternative is that Cornelia walked away from the very escape that she planned, protecting it for me. And I don't think either of us believe _that's_ what happened."

Xingke didn't look entirely convinced.

"Look, if that's our ticket out of here, we should take it," Kewell said. "Leave her here and take our chances with Cornelia. She's not unreasonable."

"We're running out of time," Marika added.

Xingke thought for less than a second before nodding, drawing a long curved knife with serrated edges. "We'll go." Lelouch closed his eyes tightly, preparing for the killing blow. "But we're taking Lelouch with us."

"What?" Marika, Kewell and Lelouch asked at the same time. Kewell glared at Lelouch and continued. "She'll just slow us down."

"She's worth something to them. At the very least, she'll be good to barter with." Xingke started sawing away at Lelouch's bindings.

"Wait, no!" Marika jumped down from the tree she'd been perched in. "The hoverplane's moved off. They're gone." Kewell cursed and turned on Xingke, clearly furious at the loss of this chance. But Marika wasn't done. "And it's being chased by a whole bunch of shinier planes." She looked, wide-eyed, at Kewell and Xingke. "Pendragon's coming."

Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the soft sound of a few of Pendragon's smaller, more manoeuvrable planes landing filled Lelouch's ears. He craned his neck, trying to see around Xingke at a highly awkward angle, but all he could make out was the reflective glare of the sun bouncing off the wings of the planes.

"Oh, shit," Kewell said, dropping everything that could possibly be seen as a weapon and raising his hands in obvious surrender. Marika followed his lead, standing beside him, both siblings with their backs to Lelouch, making it impossible to see their expressions while also partially blocking his view.

Xingke released Lelouch's bonds, and tossed the knife to the ground, but kept his hands by his sides. "We had nothing to do with whatever the Tributes from Area 1 had pla–"

There wasn't even the sound of a bullet firing, nothing more than a nearly soundless ' _pew'_ , and Xingke fell to the ground, cut off mid-word. Lelouch swallowed bile and hoped that he was just tranquilized and not brutally shot down for speaking. There had been so much needless bloodshed already that even Xingke's death weighed heavily on Lelouch now.

Kewell stood in front of Marika, giving her what protection he could, but kept his hands up and his head down, offering no challenge or fight, completely passive and waiting for the commands of his masters. Lelouch breathed out, hoping that would be enough to save him.

It wasn't.

Marika gave a small shriek as he fell and then fell beside him, silent. Lelouch couldn't see any of them, given the angle he was bound at, but he could smell the faint metallic odour of blood.

They were probably dead. The seemingly invincible Xingke, the cold and ruthless Kewell, the quick and sharp Marika. They had planned Lelouch's death, _Suzaku's_ death, but Lelouch hadn't wanted this for them; being discarded like inconveniences, mowed down like they were nothing.

And what of him? He couldn't even fight back if he'd wanted to, trussed up like a sacrifice to a particularly sadistic deity. He could hear footsteps approaching him, some light, some heavy, and one pair that sounded impossibly familiar. Or maybe there was a familiar scent, or another sense that alerted Lelouch's subconscious somehow. In any case, it was enough to renew Lelouch's struggles against the ropes that held him in place, desperate to run and hide.

"Lelouch…" The deep voice just made Lelouch panic more. He couldn't be seen like this, not in the actual presence of…

"Your Majesty, you shouldn't. It's not safe…"

"Silence him." There was a grunt from somewhere in the crowd of people, but Lelouch wasn't paying attention to any of that. His father was approaching him. Anything else was inconsequential.

The footsteps stopped. "Lelouch." Charles's voice was so close Lelouch knew that all he had to do was lift his head, just slightly, and he'd be able to see him.

Lelouch slammed his eyes shut and renewed his struggles. "Don't… don't touch me."

"My foolish son," Charles said, almost affectionately. "I did warn you." He reached out and grabbed Lelouch's hair, forcing Lelouch's to look at him. "And still you chose this path."

"Please… don't…" Lelouch had nothing to lose. He was terrified and in pain and there was no one left to protect; Nunnally was in (or had escaped from) Area 11, and Suzaku was on that hoverplane, with his fate in other hands. Lelouch had nothing more to protect beside his own pride, and that had been stripped away over the past two years to practically nothing. " _Please_."

"What kind of father do you think I am?" Charles asked, seemingly affronted. "I would never directly harm a child of my blood." His hand twisted in Lelouch's hair, turning his words to lies. "No, Lelouch, you're still useful, even after all you've done."

Lelouch shook. "What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to ease your mind," Charles said, gently. "Erase all your pain; all the memories of your cruel lover who abandoned you, all the heartache of being separated from your beloved sister and mother, all the weight of being Lelouch Lamperouge, darling of the Areas, rebel leader, _Zero_. I'll take that all away from you, and leave behind a pretty propaganda tool."

"Nunnally…"

Charles smiled. "After a few days of treatment, you'll never hear or say that name again."

"No." There was a soft sound of lasers cutting through thick rope and Lelouch felt his bonds loosen and fall. " _No_."Strong arms gripped his shoulders, and Charles's hand was still fisted in his hair, but Lelouch still fought; writhing and screaming into the uncaring air of the Hunger Games arena. "No!"

It wasn't until one of the guards managed to inject him with something that made his tongue feel fat, his jaw dangle uselessly, his muscles heavy and tired, that Lelouch stopped screaming, managing only one heartbroken moan after another.

Charles released him and gestured for him to be placed in his personal plane.

" _Yes_."

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

"Lelouch. _Lelouch_!"

Lelouch let his eyes fall open. "Hmm?"

Shirley huffed an exasperated sigh. "Will you pay attention? Nina was going over the plan for the autumn festival."

"It's alright," Nina said quietly. "Lelouch helped me draft this, he knows what's in it."

"That's not the point. It's disrespectful."

From behind Shirley's back, Rivalz caught Lelouch's gaze and rolled his eyes. Lelouch managed a small smile. "You're quite right, Shirley. Please, Nina, continue." The moment the softer spoken girl started reciting the list of duties and activities, Lelouch nestled back down into the pillow of his crossed arms and closed his eyes.

He was bored.

Not about the as-of-yet-unnamed autumn festival, or about Nina, but about everything. He literally couldn't remember a time when he _hadn't_ been bored. Every day felt like the last, with only the most minor changes and no surprises. It wasn't a bad life; he had his friends, good grades, a bright future. But it was dull and somehow pale.

On the other hand, the last thing Lelouch wanted was an _adventure_. The Areas were in the midst of rebelling, Peacekeepers were being sent out daily to help quell the worst hot spots, and there were more than enough opportunities to go join them. But that interested Lelouch about as much as a hole in the head. He didn't want danger, or to fight for a cause he had no reason to believe it, he just wanted…

Something less boring.

It didn't help that he had no ambition. There was nothing he wanted to do, nothing he wanted at all, really. He wasn't happy, but he was… content to keep coasting along without a plan or anything to strive for, excelling in things that others thought were important and finding nothing he himself considered of any import.

Rivalz threw a pencil at him as Lelouch drifted off again, averting the wrath of President Shirley. Lelouch shot him a small smile of gratitude and shifted into a position where he was turned away slightly from Shirley and was less likely to drool.

"Lamprouge?" Nina stopped mid-word as the door opened and one of the school's councillors poked her head into the room. "The principal would like to have a word with you."

Lelouch sighed and stood. He'd found himself volun-told onto a committee that reviewed and evaluated current events. Since the Numbers' Revolt, the only current event worth reviewing was the revolution happening in the Areas and its impact on Pendragon. Lelouch kept himself abreast of events, put them in context of the first rebellion, and recorded his impressions on a bi-weekly basis. Lately, he'd been asked to do more recordings, apart from his video essays, where he answered specific questions. Sometimes the questioner was a teacher, sometimes a Peacekeeper, sometimes an anonymous government suit.

It had started as a moderately invigorating mental exercise. The parallels between both rebellions were interesting, and the differences even more so, with the loss of Area 0 and the rise of a central figurehead for the Areas to rally around.

There was something intriguing about Zero. Lelouch found himself occasionally distracted as he read through news story after news story, watched propaganda reel after propaganda reel. The mask and cape were delightfully over the top, and the outfit just tight enough to reveal the lean muscular form under it. Lelouch would catch himself gently caressing the photographs of the rebel leader as he read, idly tracing over his mask, his torso, up and down those lithe legs. It hardly romanticized the rebellion, Lelouch still thought it was stupid, watching the Numbers fail a second time as hard as the first. They had guns and pitchforks and fire; Pendragon had missiles and flying ships and bombers and well-trained warriors. As long as Area 2 remained steadfast, the rebellion had no chance against the Peacekeepers, and as long as Area 3 stayed out of things, the rebellion had no chance against Pendragon's technology.

It was doomed to failure, it was just a matter of how and when and how many dead would be left in the wake. Lelouch estimated everything would be over by next summer, just in time for a renewed Hunger Games.

It was frustratingly predictable, but there were interesting aspects. Zero aside, and Lelouch's strange, irrational fixation on him, some of the battle strategies, the way the Numbers did so much with so little, were fascinating. They'd even managed, somehow, to hack into Pendragon's media and send their propaganda messages, through Zero, out to the public. Lelouch had every recording of their messages, as 'research' and sometimes he closed his eyes and just let Zero's voice wash over him.

Those moments were private, a little embarrassing, and the most sensual things Lelouch had ever experienced. He could feel every inch of his body; every pore, every pulse of his heart, every whisper of air that passed through his lips and filled his lungs. His clothes felt too tight, the material too rough. He shifted restlessly, trying to get comfortable, trying to scratch an itch that felt like it was deep inside his body. It was arousing, yes, more than anything else Lelouch had experienced in his virginal life, but it was more than that. It was… stimulating. It whetted a need that Lelouch hadn't even realized he had, one that made him more aware of the people around him, of the way some of them looked at him, as if he affected them that way too.

It was tempting to take some of them up on their unspoken offer, to try to scratch that itch, but something always stopped him. It wasn't the right time, or the right place, or something just seemed off. And then Lelouch would return home, alone, and cue up Zero's speeches.

They were good speeches. Apart from the way Zero's voice crawled up and down Lelouch's spine as he spoke, making Lelouch clutch at the arms of his chair to stop his hands from moving over his own body, touching himself in ways that were, frankly, unforgivable over a terrorist leader, the words were inspiring and intimidating, making an impact in the little time he had to get his message out before the rebels lost control over the media.

If Lelouch had been in his position, that was the way he would have run his rebellion; steady resistance from the locals interspersed with brief unpredictable surges of support from wherever Zero housed his forces. The small victories were writ large in the propaganda videos Zero released, and the people of Pendragon were growing incensed and slightly frightened.

Cowards. Even if Zero had made significant headway in the Areas (he hadn't) he was a long way from making any kind of move against Pendragon itself. So what if Area 8 had been damaged enough that no production would be possible for years? So what if the waters around Area 4 were poisoned with the debris from the bombs and garbage no one could take the time to properly dispose of, as well as the blood of the fallen, on both side? So what if Area 11 had been razed to the ground, the earth salted so nothing would ever grow there again?

The Areas were the Areas, and of no personal concern to anyone in Pendragon. The rebellion would inevitably falter and fail, and peace would be restored, and with it the appropriate subjugation of the Numbers. And all would be as it should be.

Lelouch's video essays had taken a turn to the ironic, more about the foolish reactions of those in Pendragon – from those who thought an invasion from the Numbers was imminent to those who thought that following the example of Area 11 and wiping out all the Numbers was the answer – than about the war itself. As his essays sharpened in tone, however, he was pulled aside more and more often to answer specific questions about the rebellion; about the tactics, about Zero's latest message, about the overall philosophy and rationale that allowed the Numbers to justify their revolution.

The questions were tiresome and insulting. Not only overly simplistic, they seemed to be a rather less-than-subtle attempt at assessing Lelouch's allegiance to Pendragon. Which was silly, since who would willingly side with the Numbers when to do so would mean giving up the wealth and comfort and freedom of Pendragon, even if the Numbers were in the right?

Right or wrong, they were on the losing side. And Lelouch didn't care for losers.

Speaking of… "Mr. Bartley. How pleasant to see you again."

"Lelouch." The Peacekeeper General inclined his head slightly. He'd interviewed Lelouch twice before, and each time had been an excruciating exercise in repetitive redundancy. The questions were simple, straightforward, and rephrasings of a single idea.

" _Do you support the rebellion_?"

No. Did Lelouch think Zero had a point? No. Did Lelouch think that Pendragon was in the wrong? No. Did Lelouch think that the Numbers were unfairly treated?

At first, Lelouch had tried to find new and interesting ways of saying 'no'. But after a while, it became dull and tiresome, and Lelouch just gave monosyllabic answers to the foolish questions. It didn't stop Bartley from coming back again, though, and asking the same questions over and over. Lelouch wasn't looking forward to another dull session.

They sat down, in front of the camera, and Bartley leaned back. "Now, Lelouch. Have you seen the last video from Zero?" Lelouch nodded and Bartley smiled. "Very good. I'd like to hear your critique of it, of his stance, and please… be vicious."

Hm. Interesting. Lelouch leaned forward. "Of course. First off, just let me say that everything Zero says, everything he does, comes from a flawed premise. Therefore, everything he says and does is intrinsically incorrect. He's fooling himself, he's fooling his followers, and he's fooling anyone who thinks he's a threat. The thing about Zero is he's a liar. He's going to lose and he's going to lead everyone who follows him to their doom. All those who have placed their trust in him will be betrayed."

Lelouch felt something in his chest lurch at that, but shook it off. It was perhaps a shame, what was happening to the Areas, to the foolish Numbers swept up into it, but it had nothing to do with him.

Nothing had anything to do with him.


End file.
